Yates County sheriff's deputies charged James McElwee, 22, of 2306 Old Route 14A, Penn Yan, and Steven Rector, 17, of 3416 Willet Road, Keuka Park, with felony aggravated cruelty to animals June 28. They are accused of taking the cat from Morgan's Grocery on or around May 30 and torturing and shooting it at a gravel pit on David Downey Road in Torrey. Investigators say the pair then buried the cat in a shallow grave.
"We consider this a very serious charge," said Yates County District Attorney Susan Lindenmuth.
The stray cat, called "Morgan," had been hanging around the grocery, at 100 Hamilton St., since last winter and was often fed and greeted by store patrons.
Local residents have asked for harsh punishment and have circulated petitions voicing community support for Morgan.
"That cat suffered, and that's what I can't let go of," said Sue Thompson, Morgan�s Grocery store manager. Thompson said she and others became attached to the cat, which slept under the building at night.
The maximum sentence for a felony conviction of aggravated animal cruelty is two years, Lindenmuth said. She defined aggravated animal cruelty as when an individual kills or causes serious physical injury to a companion animal. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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