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Portland, Oregon: October 29, 2002

A masked performance-art wrestler faces animal abuse charges after he allegedly bit the head off of a live rabbit as a promotional stunt.

The masked wrestler -- later identified as international enigma N8 -- pleaded innocent to two felony counts. The trial is set for November 11.

There may not be a defendant, though. Once again, the mysterious man has slipped out of police custody and into legend.

"It was a horrible act," said Portland police Detective William Crockett. "The rabbit screamed and kicked. The guy had to consume a lot of alcohol before doing it."

Crockett said N8 -- who was briefly associated with a Portland organization called Portland Organic Wrestling as "Mystery Wrestling Man" -- told him he had planned to bite the head off of a mouse at a pseudo-wrestling event and toss the body into the crowd but that promoters rejected the idea.

Instead, Crockett said, N8 planned to photograph the rabbit killing and toss pictures of it into the crowd at one of his events.

N8 had bought the rabbit as food for his pet boa constrictor, but the animal apparently was too big for the snake to eat. The rabbit had been kept at N8's squallid rented room for some time, Crockett said. N8 apparantly affixed his camera to a tripod and set the timer to capture the event.

"He's one sick puppy," commented Crockett. "How could anyone be so cruel?...We also heard tales of him toting around a deer head and talking to him. He called him Mr. Peterson or something like that. He's one odd fellow with some messed up wiring upstairs."

Vincent Taggart, organizer of Portland Organic Wrestling, said N8 was no longer associated with the wrestling parody show when the rabbit was killed.

He said Portland Organic Wrestling opposes any kind of animal abuse.
N8 faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $100,000 if recaptured.

If convicted, N8 would also be prohibited from owning a domestic animal for 15 years.

Posted by Webmaster at October 29, 2002 11:33 PM