Case Details

Cat tied up, attacked by dog, video posted online
Angleton, TX (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, Jan 25, 2007
County: Brazoria
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted
Charges: Felony CTA

Abusers/Suspects:
» Paul Miguel Quiroz
» 16 year old male

Case Updates: 6 update(s) available

Case ID: 10638
Classification: Fighting
Animal: cat, dog (pit-bull)
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A 17-year-old Angleton man has been charged with cruelty to animals after he allegedly tied up a stray cat and let the pit bull he got for his birthday tear the cat apart while he videotaped the incident.

The video ended up on the popular Web site MySpace after he gave the video to friends, but it was quickly yanked.

Paul Miguel will probably be booked Jan 31, Angleton police detective Sgt. Kirk Coleman said.

The dog, a brown and white female named Brook, was seized by agents from the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Coleman said. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 8 to see whether the dog will be taken from Miguel.

"He has no remorse," Coleman said of Miguel, "He calmly sat and told us that he doesn't like cats.

"He said he likes to take videos and send them to his friends."

The dog was a birthday present for Miguel, who turned 17 on Jan. 8. The incident with the cat took place Thursday, Coleman said.

Angleton police became aware of the incident after getting calls from people who saw the video on the Internet, Coleman said. MySpace has since pulled the video from the Web site.

The cat was a stray that Miguel found in his neighborhood, Coleman said. He said the video shows the dog dismembering the animal.

If convicted of the cruelty charge, Miguel faces up to two years in state jail.

Case Updates

According to court records, Paul Miquel Quiroz entered a guilty plea to a felony animal cruelty charge on September 10, 2007.

The conviction stems from an incident in which Quiroz reportedly tied up a stray cat and released his pit bull to attack and kill it. He and a juvenile co-defendant filmed the incident and posted it on the internet.

The information regarding the juvenile is not being released due to his age.

Quiroz was sentenced to 8 months in jail and ordered to pay court costs and fines.
Source: Brazoria County Case #53314
Update posted on Sep 17, 2007 - 5:05PM 
The trial for Paul Miguel Quiroz has again been postponed. Quiroz faces felony animal cruelty charges for allegedly tying up a stray cat and releasing his pit bull to attack and kill it. He had recently received the dog as a birthday gift.

Quiroz and a juvenile co-defendant allegedly filmed the incident and posted it on the internet. The two were later arrested at Angleton High School.

Police allege that Quiroz captured and tied up the cat, and then encouraged his dog to attack it while the juvenile took video footage.

The juvenile is being prosecuted in the juvenile justice system, and his name has not been released due to his age.

Quiroz is scheduled for trial on September 10, 2007 at 9:00 a.m., with conferencing to be held the Friday before.
Source: Brazoria County Case #53314
Update posted on Aug 10, 2007 - 7:45PM 
The trial for Paul Miguel Quiroz has been postponed until August 6, 2007 at 9:00 a.m.

The charges stem from an incident in which Quiroz allegedly tied up a stray cat and let the pit bull he got for his birthday tear the cat apart while he videotaped the incident. The video ended up on the internet after he gave the video to friends, but it was quickly yanked.

Quiroz is charged with felony animal cruelty, and if convicted, he faces up to two years in jail.
Source: Brazoria County Case #53314
Update posted on May 8, 2007 - 2:30PM 
Paul Miguel Quiroz appeared in Brazorina County court on March 1. He is facing felony animal cruelty charges for allegedly tying up a stray cat and releasing his pit bull to attack and kill it. He and a juvenile co-defendant filmed the incident and posted it on the internet. The two were later arrested on school grounds at Angleton High School. Police allege that Quiroz captured and tied up the cat and got the dog excited enough to kill the feline while the juvenile took a video of the incident. Quiroz will appear in court next on May 3. His co-defendant is being prosecuted in the juvenile justice system.
Source: Case # 53314
Update posted on Mar 4, 2007 - 2:58PM 
Paul Miguel Quiroz was indicted on felony animal cruelty charges on February 8, 2007. The charges stem from a January incident in which he allegedly tied up a stray cat and let the pit bull he got for his birthday tear the cat apart while he videotaped the incident. The video ended up on the popular Web site MySpace after he gave the video to friends, but it was quickly yanked. A court date is expected to be set in the next few days.
Source: Case # 53314
Update posted on Feb 12, 2007 - 3:50PM 
Two Angleton High School 10th-graders were arrested at school on Jan 31 on animal cruelty charges after allegedly posting a video of a pit bull mauling a cat to death on a Web site.

Paul Miguel, 17, was expected to be transferred to the Brazoria County Detention Center early today. His bail is set at $15,000.

A 16-year-old was being held in the county's juvenile detention facility, said Angleton Police Detective Stephanie Kohls.

Police allege that Miguel captured and tied up the cat and got the dog excited enough to kill the feline while the juvenile took a video of the incident.

Kohls said police began investigating after a call from a woman in New York on Sunday who said she had seen the video on Miguel's page on the popular MySpace Web site.

"I looked at the video and said, 'I know that yard,' " Kohls said. When she heard Miguel's voice, she recognized it.

She said the video, which MySpace quickly pulled after police downloaded it for evidence, showed a light golden-colored cat tied to the bumper of a minivan. The license number of the van matched Miguel's address, Kohls said.

The pit bull was enticed to become enraged and attack and kill the cat, she said. "It was pretty bad."

When officers went to seize the dog � which had been a 17th birthday present for Miguel � and another pit bull in the same backyard, the dogs were friendly and docile toward officers, Kohls said.

A hearing next week will determine if the dogs will go back to Miguel or kept at the Houston SPCA, where they are now.

If convicted of the charge, Miguel faces up to two years in state jail.
Source: Houston Chronicle - Feb 1, 2007
Update posted on Feb 1, 2007 - 1:43PM 

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References

Houston Chronicle
The Facts - Jan 31, 2007

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