3rd Grosse Ile Lacrosse Player Charged in Guinea Pig Slaughter

GROSSE ILE, MI — A third Grosse Ile High School lacrosse player has been accused in the pregame ritual that ended with the slaughter of a guinea pig in April, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said. The teen is 16 and is charged as a juvenile with a count each of killing/torturing an animal and animal cruelty, Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.

Tanner Coolsaet, 18, and Michael Roth, 17, both of Grosse Ile, were charged earlier this month with two counts each of killing/torturing an animal and animal cruelty. Roth is charged as an adult.

Information has since come forward alleging that the 16-year-old also was involved in the April 30 guinea pig killing, Miller said. Coolsaet is accused of slitting the guinea pig’s throat, and Roth is accused of striking it with a small bat. The animal died shortly thereafter.

“The alleged facts in this case illustrate much more than a youthful prank or a pre-game antic,” Worthy said in a statement earlier this month when the charges against Coolsaet and Roth were announced. “We must take these cases seriously.”

The 16-year-old’s pre-trial conference will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 11 before Referee Viola King at the Lincoln Hall of Justice. In juvenile court, the penalty for the offense is determined by the judge upon conviction.

Both Coolsaet and and Roth, who are free on $5,000 personal bonds, appeared briefly in Woodhaven’s 33rd District Court on their felony charges. If convicted, the older teens could spend up to four years in prison.

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