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The man caught up in surveillance footage of driving a wounded cat in a trash can was charged with animal cruelty, officials said Monday.
Joseph Harrison Parker, 58, of Mission Viejo, is accused of putting the injured cat in a garbage bag and throwing it into a trash can near a shopping centre in the 25,000 block of Cabot Road in Laguna Hills earlier this month.
The cat was rescued 15 hours later just before the garbage was set up to be collected that day, Mission Viejo Animal Services said. The female cat was then treated for serious injuries, including a broken jaw, a broken blood vessel in the eyes, and a concussion.
Animal Services Group is seeking help from the public in identifying a man caught in a camera that dumped an injured cat in a trash can in Orange County. (Photo: Mission Viejo Animal Services) A man drives an SUV behind a business and drives a parking lot near the trash bin before leaving the vehicle, getting a bag and dumping its contents (the cat) into the trash bin. (Credit: MissionViejo Animal Services)
The video of the incident has been widely available on social media, with Parker identified as a suspect last week and arrested by deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The cat owner has stepped forward to identifying the parka she described as her roommate, officials said. It has been revealed that the cat, originally called Willow by veterinarian staff, was named Boo Boo.
“Only those who really fall will make the decision to abuse animals that have no way of protecting themselves,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a news release. “The abuse of unprotected animals is not tolerated, and those engaged in violence against animals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Parker is charged with one count of animal cruelty and misdemeanor charges of abandoning a dog or cat. He appeared in court last Friday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He was released after posting $2,000 bail. This is the number the District Attorney’s Office said it believes is too low.
If convicted of being charged, Parker could potentially last up to three years in state prison.
Authorities said Booboo had surgery to repair his broken jaw and was “slowly improving.”
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