MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A 13-year-old boy trapped his neighbor’s cat in a trash can for days, slammed it against the pavement and then left its dead body in an area where he believed dogs would mangle it, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said animal control contacted them Tuesday about the death of a domesticated cat that was believed to have been killed by the owner’s neighbor.
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Records show the teenage suspect initially denied hurting the animal but later admitted that about a week prior, he saw the cat in the neighborhood and brought it back to his home where he trapped it in a trashcan and kept it there for several days.
He used a pole to strike the cat while it was in the can a few days later and then kept it trapped, according to the report.
Deputies said he tried to stab the cat on Tuesday and it bit him so he stuffed the cat in a garbage bag and slammed it against the pavement.
The animal escaped only for the teen to grab it by its tail and slam it on the pavement until blood began to flow from its mouth, records show.
The boy is then accused of throwing the dead cat’s body into the yard of a nearby home where he believed dogs would further mangle the body.
The teen was arrested on a felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty. He was taken to a juvenile facility and has since been released to his parents.