CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #5413 Rating: 1.0 out of 5
Cat thrown against wall
Naples, FL (US)Incident Date: Monday, Oct 25, 2004
County: Collier
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Travis Estill Caudill
An East Naples man received probation on Aug 17, 2005 after pleading no contest to throwing a cat against a bedroom wall and hitting his girlfriend in the mouth.
In exchange for his plea and a 1-and-a-half-year probation term, Collier County Circuit Judge Cynthia Ellis withheld a formal conviction for Travis Estill Caudill, 30, of 9415 Marino Circle, on either charge - felony animal cruelty and misdemeanor domestic violence battery.
The cat suffered minor injuries and was treated afterward, prosecutor Deborah Schwartz and defense attorney Sal Bazaz said. After it hit the wall, the cat had some blood in its bodily fluids.
According to the Oct. 25, 2004, arrest report, Caudill fought with his live-in girlfriend, Sara Hardway. He had accused her of cheating on him.
Hardway took her then 5-year-old daughter, Lyric, into a back bedroom and locked the door. Hardway then called her parents, who called 911 as Caudill beat on the door.
Caudill got a key to the room and entered. According to the arrest report, he pushed and hit Hardway, then picked up the cat and threw it into a wall across the room. The cat fell and ran away.
"A vet checked him out and he was OK," Schwartz said.
Schwartz said Hardway was in agreement with the plea, which includes about $1,200 in court costs and fees.
"She was adamant she didn't want her daughter to have to testify," Schwartz said.
As part of the plea, Caudill must take a batterers intervention course, which includes anger management. He also must have a substance abuse evaluation and abstain from drinking alcohol while on probation.
"Were you drinking at the time of the incident?" the judge asked Caudill during the plea.
"Yes, I was," Caudill said. References« FL State Animal Cruelty Map
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