Cat beaten with cinderblock, set on fire
Southold, NY (US)Incident Date: Friday, Aug 31, 2007
County: Suffolk
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» Christopher Tabor-Finne
» Porschia Poteet
» Tyler Pendergrass
Southold police are investigating the "disturbing" death of a cat during a house party last month, in which the feline was repeatedly struck with a cinderblock and then set on fire, according to one party attendee.
The owner of the cat searched for her pet for weeks before a friend finally told her what happened. She reported the information to police, who have arrested three East End youths for animal cruelty.
"It was intentionally killed in a rather disturbing way," Capt. Martin Flatley said yesterday.
One of the suspects, Christopher Tabor-Finne, 20, is the same man who police say broke about 90 windows at Southold Junior/Senior High School in 2005 after he was suspended. He later pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal mischief.
A woman who identified herself as Tabor-Finne's mother said, "He's not guilty," when contacted by phone.
Porschia Poteet, 18, of Greenport, who also has been arrested in the case, said she witnessed the killing but had no part in the death itself. Poteet said the party had been a going-away gathering for a friend, and soon got out of hand when the other two suspects, Tabor-Finne and Tyler Pendergrass, 16, of Shelter Island, held the cat down and smashed its head more than a dozen times.
She said the animal was then set on fire with a lighter. "I was disgusted," she said.
It was unclear exactly why they killed the cat, but Poteet said one of the arrested men claimed the cat was "annoying" and mentioned trying something he'd seen in a movie.
Tabor-Finne, of Southold, and Pendergrass were arraigned in Southold Justice Court on Sept. 26. Tabor-Finne was held on $50,000 bail, and Pendergrass on $25,000 bail.
Poteet, who also was charged with a felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals, was arraigned on Friday. Her bail was set at $15,000. References |
