DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A Daytona Beach man was taken into custody on accusations that he abused a cat in his yard last month, according to the police department.
In an arrest affidavit, police said that the man — identified as Dean Bell, 61 — had been seen trapping the black cat in a “small metal cage” on the morning of Dec. 31.
While standing over the cage in his front yard, Bell reportedly sprayed the trapped cat in its face and body with a high-pressure hose, police said.
“The cat was unable to move freely within the trap and had no way to escape from (Bell’s) actions,” the affidavit reads. “(Bell) was seen repeatedly spraying the cat from a close distance (within approximately 1-2 feet of the cat).”
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At the time, the temperature outside was only around 45 degrees, so the hose was used “to cause excessive infliction of pain and torment to the animal,” police added.
Police said that neighbors reported seeing Bell repeatedly drop the caged cat, too.
When a neighbor confronted Bell about his actions, he said something to the effect of, “It shouldn’t have been in his yard,” the affidavit states.
The neighbor also posted a video of the incident on Facebook, which police released on Friday.
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Bell was taken into custody early Friday morning and faces a charge of animal cruelty. He was released shortly afterward on a bond of $2,500.
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