Cat set on fire Alamogordo, NM (US) Incident Date: Thursday, Nov 23, 2006 County: Otero Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Charges: Felony CTA Alleged: » Jose Bustillos » Orlando Luis Corralez Upcoming Court Dates: » Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007: jury trial Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

Case ID: 10201 Classification: Burning - Fire or Fireworks Animal: cat View more cases in NM (US) Animal was offleash or loose Drugs or alcohol involved Login to Watch this Case

Two men, one from Alamogordo, one from Muleshoe, Texas, were arrested early Nov 23 morning for allegedly setting a cat on fire.

Jose Bustillos, 35, of 805 Catalina Lane, and Orlando Luis Corralez, 21, of 1634 County Road 1046, Muleshoe, Texas, were arrested and charged with extreme cruelty to animals and conspiracy to commit extreme cruelty to animals.

According to its logs, Alamogordo Department of Public Safety officers responded to a vehicle fire call on the 800 block of Catalina about 20 minutes after midnight.

But there was no vehicle on fire.

The resident of the house found that his cat had been badly burned, according to police. The cat lay beneath the vehicle on the driveway.

Further investigation revealed that Bustillos and Corralez stood in a garage across the street. The two allegedly decided to tie an empty beer can filled with an "unknown combustible fuel" to the cat's tail, then ignited it.

The cat's hair was singed over 95 percent of its body. It also suffered third degree burns to its paws, tail and anus.

According to the local veterinary office where the cat was treated, it has since been taken home. DPS said the cat is expected to survive.

Sgt. Mike Seifert of DPS said the reason the two decided to burn the cat is not known.

"There was obvious evidence of them drinking alcohol," he said.

He said extreme cruelty to animals is a fourth degree felony. It differs from garden variety animal cruelty in that it is "more intentional and more malicious," he said.

Both men bonded out of the Otero County Detention Center on Friday. Their bond's were set at $10,000.

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Alamogordo News - Nov 28, 2006

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