Police have identified the bullies involved in an incident where the Ice Bucket Challenge was used to trick an autistic teenager into being drenched with a bucket of feces, urine, spit and cigarette butts, CNN reported.
The 15-year-old boy was filmed standing outside a garage door in his underwear before someone from the rooftops poured the bucket of brown murky fluid all over him. The video was later uploaded and posted on Instagram.
Since the investigation has not been completed, authorities did not release the names of the suspects, and are not discussing potential charges they may face, said Bay Village, Ohio, Police Chief Mark Spaetzel.
"We are conducting a comprehensive investigation," Spaetzel told CNN on Tuesday.
After the clip, filmed in Bay Village, near Cleveland, Ohio, caused an outcry and sparked appeals to track down those responsible for it, three celebrities offered a reward for any information leading to the bullies' prosecution.
On Saturday, Drew Carey tweeted that he would donate $10,000 to anyone who found the culprits, with Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg joining the initiative.
And now, police in the area said they have identified almost everyone responsible and are poised to hand over a dossier of evidence to local prosecutors. "We are being very thorough in gathering all the necessary facts before presenting to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office," Spaetzel said.
"Preliminary information suggests this occurred prior to the start of the school year at a home in Bay Village," the department said.
"We understand the collective community anger. It is the hope of our community that this anger will be channeled into a positive action and supporting organizations such as Autism Speaks."
According to the boy's mother, who gave her name only as Diane so as to protect her son's identity, the victim was so embarrassed by the cruel prank that he wanted to keep it a secret, UK MailOnline reported. But eventually, his family discovered the video.
"He was embarrassed because he did not know what the contents were until afterwards, and then he didn't want anybody to know," the mother told CNN. "They used his phone to tape it, and they put it up on Instagram."
"The bucket challenge is supposed to be raising awareness for this disease and now they've turned it into a sick joke. I just can't understand why kids would do something this cruel," Diane told the Fox8 news station.
Meanwhile, the Bay Village Schools superintendent said the school district is "heartsick over the cruel actions taken against one of our students."
"Many of our students and staff members have been participating in fundraising for ALS through the Ice Bucket Challenge," Superintendent Clint Keener wrote. "It hurts us deeply to see such a wonderful effort twisted to deliberately cause someone pain."
