Cat thrown from third-story building
Moundsville, WV (US)Incident Date: Monday, Jun 30, 2008
County: Marshall
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: James Joseph Carney
A cat is recovering today after falling from a three-story building on Second Street, but Moundsville residents claim the owner threw the feline off the building on purpose.
That owner, James Joseph Carney, 36, of Moundsville, has been charged with one count of cruelty to animals.
"It's senseless violence," said Moundsville police Cpl. Donald DeWitt. "I did speak with one witness who saw it flying through the air. He advised he was sure the cat was thrown, but was not sure if it was real at the time."
DeWitt said the department was contacted Monday afternoon by Kristin Breiding, a resident of the Simmons Apartment Building, 1003 Second St. Breiding told the dispatcher she had taken in a cat she believed was thrown from the building, which is about 30 feet high. DeWitt said she discovered the bleeding cat at the doorstep to her apartment Friday and had been caring for it since. She said that upon speaking with several people, she learned the cat had been thrown from the building by Carney, a fellow resident.
DeWitt said Breiding also reported she spoke with Carney after hearing the allegations and claimed Carney told her he did throw the cat off the third floor "because he was tired of it."
Dewitt said Carney originally admitted to the crime then quickly denied it, claiming the cat was hit by a car. While the cat was conscious at the time of his investigation, DeWitt noted the cat was bleeding from its mouth.
"The cat was curled in a ball," he said. "It was breathing, but it could not stand or walk. It did have blood around the nose and mouth area and appeared to be very lethargic."
He said Breiding has been caring for the cat but, as of Tuesday, he was not sure if the cat had been taken to a veterinarian.
"She said she was going to observe it for a while and see what happens," DeWitt said. "See if it starts walking or anything."
Attempts by to contact Breiding on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
Carney was arrested Tuesday afternoon, taken to the Northern Regional Jail and released on $4,800, pending an initial appearance in Marshall County Magistrate Court.
If convicted, Carney could be sentenced to one to five years in prison and be fined between $1,000 and $5,000. References |
