A 20-year-old player on the Ottawa University-Arizona baseball team has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty after police say a video showed him hitting and killing a javelina with a baseball bat.

Roger Henry Alexander has been booked into Maricopa County Jail on one felony count of animal cruelty and one misdemeanor count of intentional unnecessary physical injury to an animal, police said.

Surprise authorities said they were alerted to the incident by a person who saw a video of the suspect on social media, and police launched a criminal investigation.

Investigators said they believe the video may have been recorded on Jan. 18 near North Bullard Avenue and West Old Oak Lane in Surprise.

“The video, taken in the evening, shows a vehicle in a residential area stopped on the roadway facing a wild javelina stopped in the street,” police said in a release.

“The headlights of the vehicle were shining toward the javelina and the suspect, who was wearing baseball batting gloves and holding a baseball bat, approached and struck the javelina with the bat.” 

Police said using the video and with community assistance they identified the suspect.

Anyone with additional information regarding the incident is asked to contact Surprise Police at 623-222-4000 or 623-222-TIPS (8477), or email crimetips@surpriseaz.gov.

The case reference number 23-0104611.