Redding: Arson, Animal Cruelty Charges for 3 cowardly Punks who tortured family pet

Three Redding teenagers were arrested late today after they allegedly lured a family’s pet cat with an open can of tuna near its Redding home last week, doused it with gasoline and set it on fire.

Sgt. Bruce Bonner of the Redding Police Department said the three teenagers were arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals, arson and conspiracy, all felonies, after being questioned at length and were booked into Shasta County Juvenile Hall.

Their names are not being publicly released because they are minors.

“I’m glad they caught them,” said a heart-broken Terri Welch, who had owned the 13-year-old Burmese-Siamese mix, dubbed Tango, since he was about a year old. “He was very loving and easy going. We miss him already.”

The juveniles arrested were a 16-year-old boy, a 17-year-old boy and his 16-year-old girlfriend, Bonner said.

Three other teenagers ranging in ages from 15 to 17, including two from Chico, are considered suspects in the case, but Bonner said it appears that their involvement in the case was minimal.

Still, he said, the investigation is continuing.

Ray John, the chief executive officer of Haven Humane Society, said he was grateful that police, as well as the Shasta County district attorney’s office, took the case so seriously.

“We can’t have this in our society and community,” he said. “I’m glad that people have been brought in and I’m excited that the whole community said this is not acceptable.”

A news release issued tonight by the RPD revealed that six juveniles — three boys and three girls — were in a car when one of the girls initiated a conversation with her boyfriend about setting an insect or something else on fire.

“The conversation continued and eventually a cat was decided upon,” the news release said.

While later visiting a friend’s home, it said, the teens obtained a can of tuna and cruised the neighborhood looking for a cat until they found one.

The 17-year-old boy is suspected of pouring gasoline on the pet cat while his girlfriend helped and the other 16-year-old boy also assisted, the news release said.

Several attempts were made before the cat was successfully lit on fire, it added.

The 16-year-old girl was located around 3:15 p.m. today at her residence and detained, while her boyfriend was also found at another location and detained, the statement said.

Both teens were interviewed by police investigators and eventually arrested.

The third teen, who was originally questioned on Tuesday, was arrested late this afternoon at his residence after he was re-interviewed, the news release said.

Bonner said that evidence at the scene, as well as citizen tips, led police to the three young suspects who were arrested.

Witnesses have said that they called 911 after seeing the burning cat around 10:55 p.m. on July 8 near the corner of Posey Lane and Twin Tower Drive in Redding.

Initially, their attention had been drawn by a burning wooden fence that was ignited by the cat.

Neighbors extinguished the fence fire and cared for the badly-injured cat until Redding police and Redding Animal Regulation arrived at the scene.

Paul Soden, a resident of the neighborhood, has said that he held the 13-year-old cat in a blanket and massaged its eyes, which had been singed shut.

Most of the hair had burned off and the cat’s ears and feet appeared to be badly scorched, neighbors said, adding that they heard laughter and saw a car drive away with at least three or four passengers inside.

Redding Animal Regulation officers later took the cat to Haven Humane, where it was euthanized.

The case shocked and outraged many, and community donations poured into the Haven Humane Society, which in conjunction with the Shasta County Secret Witness program, offered a reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

That reward, which includes $1,000 offered by the Secret Witness program, has grown to about $6,500, said John, Haven’s CEO.

But, he added, the nonprofit has also received monetary pledges from a number of people that will boost the reward even higher.

Source: Redding.com - Link