Two men suspected of torturing a cat by dragging it behind a cable installation truck could face felony charges in connection with the Dec. 22 incident.
On the eve of one of the suspects' first scheduled Municipal Court appearance at 1:30 p.m. Jan 7, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jeffrey S. Blitz announced Tuesday that the county will launch an investigation into the charges.
Depending on the evidence that's uncovered, the county probe could spark fourth-degree animal-cruelty charges against Robert Hewitt Jr., 28, of Hickory Lane in Egg Harbor Township, and Joseph M. Newton Jr., 25, of Maddox Run in Galloway Township.
Such charges carry a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The other suspect has waived an arraignment and asked for a trial date, court director Alison Kaufmann said.
The city's court got more than 100 letters, nearly all of which asked authorities to upgrade the charges against the suspects, who are cable installers for Somers Point-based company Ocean Cable Group.
As it stands now, the suspects face disorderly persons charges. Police Sgt. Ken Brown charged Hewitt, who he said was driving the truck to which the cat was tethered with four feet of cable wire, with an animal-cruelty charge and a charge of inhumane treatment of an animal.
Newton faces an animal-cruelty charge.
The incident happened shortly after 3 p.m. on Dec. 22. As Brown drove into the resort on Route 30 to work a security detail, the police sergeant allegedly witnessed one cable company truck dragging the cat as another cable company truck followed behind it.
Brown used his police radio to alert a marked patrol unit, which stopped the trucks at Route 30 and Grammercy Avenue in Venice Park.
By that time, the cat was gutted and one of its legs had snapped off, Brown said.
It was tied by its neck to the bumper of one of the trucks, and was too mutilated to tell its sex, he said, calling the incident among the worst things he's seen during his 27 years as a police officer.
Police took photos of the animal and kept the cable wire it was lashed to the truck with as evidence. Authorities aren't sure whether the cat was dead before the dragging.
Ocean Cable Group owner Bob Mills suspended both employees and said his company doesn't condone the behavior police are alleging. Mills, who owns two pet cats himself, said he will fire the men if they are found guilty.
But the company owner also told The Press of Atlantic City that his employees told him they didn't know what was going on at the time of the incident and that the driver of the second truck tried to call the first driver on his cell phone to tell him about the cat, but his phone malfunctioned.
Mills also suggested that some former disgruntled employees who live near where Hewitt and Newton stopped for lunch that day could be involved in the incident. References | Press of Atlantic City | | Newsday |
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