The hunt is on for cruel teen who threw a kitten in disturbing video

Alex Eriksen


A viral video has sparked outrage online and a police investigation into animal abuse. In a video posted to Twitter on Friday, a teen can be seen holding a cat. He then throws the animal in a high arc into the street. Warning: the following video contains disturbing images:

Police in Ontario, Calif., say they have identified a 16-year-old suspect, but he has yet to be apprehended. His name is being withheld from the public due to his age.

The cat, named Spots, can be heard meowing in pain in the video. According to police, the pet survived the incident but fractured one of his legs. The cat’s owner, Perla, told NBC4: “I just want [the perpetrator] to know he hurt a victim that can’t defend itself.”

In a press release, the Ontario Police Department says the investigation is ongoing and it encourages anyone with tips to call in.

But outrage over the incident hasn’t been restricted to California. Social media users all over the continent have expressed their anger about the abuse. A Canadian Twitter user wrote: “I can’t even watch the video. So sick that people would go so low to abuse animals”.

Even police departments outside of Ontario’s jurisdiction have commented on the incident after reports flooded the Fontana, Calif., PD:

Spots is expected to recover from his injury. The Inland Valley Humane Society treated him and is assisting police with the investigation.

One resident says he knows the suspect and believes drugs may be involved. “I know who he is,” Oscar Ramos told CBS Los Angeles in an interview, “but I don’t know his name. He hangs around here in the alley all the time. Bunch of little kids doing drugs. They think they’re cool. He probably did it just to look cool on video.”

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