Jordan Ruiz
Hallie Pate
Jordan Ruiz and Hallie Pate

Two teenagers in North Carolina face a litany of charges after authorities say they broke into a house, killed pet birds and set a vehicle on fire.

17-year-old Hallie Lauren Pate is being held in Lenoir County Sheriff's Detention Centre in Kinston while 18-year-old Jordan Alexis Ruiz is being held at Duplin County Sheriff's Office.

Lenoir County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that the teenagers were arrested on 8 February over the incident that occurred four days earlier.

The home's owner, Mack Price, told local news service WITN that his daughter lives in the property but that she was at a Super Bowl party when the break-in occurred.

He also alleged that the suspects had killed two pet parakeets and covered the kitchen with blood as well as pouring lighter fluid throughout the house.

Detectives have spoken to witnesses and located stolen property that had been sold, leading them to the suspects.

Lenoir County Sheriff's Office said that Pate had been charged with 12 crimes including breaking and entering, felony larceny, burning personal property and felony cruelty to animals. Ruiz faces the same 12 charges. Both are being held under $50,000 (£36,000) secured bonds.

On a Facebook post about the arrests from Lenoir County Sheriff's Office, a woman purporting to be Hallie's sister said that the comments on the post were "affecting me and my younger sister", adding: "Keep your comments to yourself because they just make you look like the lower and more inconsiderate to our feelings."