PHOENIX -- Two East Mesa boys admitted to stoning and later hanging to death a 4-month-old kitten, the Maricopa County Sheriff's office said.

According to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the boys, ages 6 and 7, are too young to be charged with animal cruelty. Arizona state law prohibits charging anyone under the age of eight with a crime.

The investigation began Oct. 23 when a neighbor called the sheriff's office after finding the dead cat. Deputies went to the neighborhood and found the kitten hanging by its neck from a backyard tree.

According to deputies, the boys used a wire from a video game controller to hang the cat. The kitten's head had been beaten with a rock.

Arpaio said Child Protective Services declined involvement, saying the circumstances of the case were outside the department's criteria.

Nevertheless, CPS reversed course Friday afternoon and said it will look into the matter, saying it discovered a little-used provision in the laws stating that the department can investigate if a child under the age of 8 commits a crime.

The sheriff's office child forensic specialist also interviewed the two boys in the presence of their parents.

Arpaio said he hopes someone in the counseling community will come forward to offer services on a volunteer basis.

"The kind of psychological care these boys need … will be very expensive," the sheriff said. "Both families are likely to be greatly burdened by the medical help required."

Deputies have also contacted Arizona State University, which has a new program that specializes in this sort of case.

"This level of animal abuse at such a young age could be a predictor of worse violence in the future," Arpaio said. "Though it is a little unusual for us to get involved in this way, we're doing whatever we can to find the guidance these two boys need to avoid that."

Arpaio also said the boys were playing popular video game Grand Theft Auto before they killed the kitten, and he blamed the game for the crime.

"It's little wonder why they perpetrated such violence against that little animal," he said.

The Grand Theft Auto series is rated M by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. The M rating, which stands for mature, means the game is suitable for those ages 17 and older. M-rated titles may contain violence, blood and gore, adult language and sexual references.