Chicken prank falls flat, 3 N.J. students face criminal charges

(CBS/WCBS) WOODBRIDGE, N.J. - Three New Jersey students are facing criminal charges and may be baned from walking at their graduation ceremony and other senior activities stemming from a senior prank gone wrong.

Anthony Cesareo and Tyler Bruno, both 17, along with 18-year-old Bryan Pater allegedly released live chickens into Woodbridge High School in February as part of a senior hoax, but their attempt to get some laughs and possibly make a mark on their school's legacy backfired.

"...Now we're getting charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, not allowed to go to prom, not allowed to go to graduation, and all that," Cesareo told CBS station WCBS.

Cesareo and Tyler Bruno said they bought live chickens from a store in Newark and pushed the chickens through a window at their high school in the middle of the night. A janitor found the birds in the morning before school started, according to WCBS.

The teenagers said they got the chickens from a live poultry shop but the shop denied it, saying they don't let live chickens leave their grounds.

Investigators said they can't release more information on the 17-year-olds because they're juveniles, but said Pater has been charged with trespassing, reports WCBS.

Pater faces a $1,000 fine and six months in prison, though it seems unlikely he'll serve any time. A judge could choose to give him community service.