HOWELL – A Township man has been arrested and charged for intentionally killing his pet cat, officials said.
Christopher Sanchez, 29, is charged with third-degree Animal Cruelty by Unnecessarily or Cruelly Abusing a Living Animal, Resulting in its Death.
Authorities discovered the body of the deceased cat outside of Sanchez’s home after they were called to the residence for an unrelated matter on March 31. They later determined that the cat, named Lilith, had belonged to Sanchez, and he allegedly used a sharp instrument to kill it two days earlier.
Sanchez was charged and arrested on the same day and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) pending a detention hearing tentatively scheduled to take place on April 12. He currently faces up the five years in state prison.
Anyone with information about this matter is asked to contact Howell Township Police Department Patrolman Sean Heck at 732-938-4111, SPCA Chief of Humane Law Enforcement Michael Goldfarb at 732-542-0040, or SPCA Lt. Michael Magliozzo at 732-440-4538.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.
