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Case #13434 Rating: 2.3 out of 5
Sleeping cat thrown, beaten to death
Bronx, NY (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Jun 14, 2005
County: Bronx
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Douglas Boateng
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Two teenagers were walking by an apartment building at 1055 Morris Ave. in the University Heights section of the Bronx in June 2005 when they spotted a calico cat sitting on the windowsill of a first-floor apartment, an ASPCA spokesman, Joseph Pentangelo, said.
A surveillance video shows the men taking the cat out of the window and throw it to their two pet rottweilers, he said. When the dogs refused to attack the cat, they began beating it with chains and a leash, eventually killing it. One of the men, Douglas Boateng, was charged with a felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals as well as burglary, because the law considers a pet private property. The other man is in prison on another crime and hasn't been charged for animal abuse, Mr. Pe..ntangelo said.
[Editor's note: the two media sources for this caase file give two different descriptions of the dogs, one referring to the dogs as rottweilers and another referring to them as pit bulls. Because the dogs were not the victims in this case, this will not affect reporting statistics. ]
Case UpdatesA Bronx man has been convicted of Aggravated Cruelty to Animals in the beating death of a house cat in June 2005.
Aggravated Cruelty to Animals is a felony offense under the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law and is punishable by a maximum sentence of up to two years imprisonment.
Douglas Boateng, 21, of 1820 Phelan Place, the Bronx, was found guilty following a non-jury trial before State Supreme Court Justice Darcel Clark. Boateng was also convicted on two misdemeanor counts of torturing animals and criminal possession of stolen property each punishable by a maximum sentence of up to a year in jail when sentenced in May.
The crime occurred at 1945 Loring Place on June 14, 2005 at 4:30 a.m. Boateng and an acquaintance were walking two pit bull dogs past the building when they saw a cat sleeping next to a window in a ground floor apartment. The defendant's acquaintance, who remains at large, opened the window and pulled the cat through both an anti-theft gate and a child protective window guard.
After the unapprehended accomplice threw the cat against a wall, the two men unleashed the pit bulls which began to maul the house cat. Boateng admitted that he repeatedly struck the cat with a heavy metal chain as the dogs mauled the animal. Boateng continued beating, chasing and throwing the cat to the pit bulls until it ran under a car and died.
Boateng was arrested following an investigation by the ASPCA which determined that the dead cat had sustained multiple fractures to the ribs, jaw and skull, bite wounds and bruising. The right side of the animal's brain was crushed. Surveillance cameras that were installed for building security captured the brutal attack on videotape. | Source: Empire State News - March 21, 2008
Update posted on Mar 21, 2008 - 1:55AM |
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