New Jersey man who sexually abused and killed his pet cat sentenced to five years in prison

An Asbury Park man who admitted to torturing and killing his pet last year was sentenced to five years in prison, the Monmouth County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

Superior Court Judge Chad Cagan sentenced 19-year-old Bani Mezquititla on Thursday, a year after he was charged with two counts of animal cruelty. He was accused of sexually abusing, restraining and torturing the cat, causing its death, authorities said. He will also pay restitution for the cat’s autopsy and comply with an order that permanently prohibits him from ever owning, living with or having custody of an animal again, Cagan said.

As previously reported, on March 2, 2023, a concerned citizen brought the body of a dead cat to Asbury Park Police Headquarters.

Police and the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals later determined that Mezquititla was the cat’s owner. He was arrested and charged the same day.

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