WACO, Texas (KWTX) – An 18-year-old McLennan County man was arrested on August 1 after being accused of punching two kittens, resulting in injuries to both, according to an arrest affidavit.
A deputy with the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance at a home on 633 West W.A. Neel Road in West, Texas. A woman reported that her nephew, Juan De La Cerda, had harmed two kittens earlier that day.
Cerda’s mother told police she found him punching one of the kittens. Cerda claimed the kitten bit him while sitting on his lap, and he pushed it off. He also said the kitten had a seizure and collapsed.
The deputy’s affidavit states that upon entering the home, the officer spoke with Cerda’s mother, who was holding one kitten while another orange kitten appeared lifeless on a bed.
The mother said she heard a loud noise coming from Cerda’s room and discovered him punching the orange kitten with a closed fist. When she demanded the kitten, Cerda reportedly told her, “Get the f— out of my room.”
Later, she retrieved both kittens. One appeared deceased at first but was later found lethargic, with blood coming from its nose. Cerda told officers the injured kitten had fallen off his desk chair.
Cerda was arrested and charged with two counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals. His bond was set at $5,000.
