Teen feeds cat to gator -- could get jail time

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

I'm sure most of you know my position on this issue, so I won't comment on it for fear of getting banned due to the venom I want to type in regards to this brat.

 

PS: I sent a letter to the reporter asking for the state attorney's e-mail address. I'm sick of reading stories like this only to have the little bastard(s) get nothing more than a slap on the wrist. If I get a response I'll post it here...

 

http://www.news-press.com/news/local_state...6catupdate.html

 

A teenage boy who fed a neighbor’s pet cat to an alligator Thursday told investigators he just wanted to see what the gator would do, Cape Coral police reported.

 

Andrew J. Castor, 14, of 1432 S.E. 24th Ave. was arrested on charges of felony cruelty to animals, feeding a gator and the theft of the cat.

 

The state attorney's office hadn't decided what charges to pursue Friday or whether Castor would be tried as an adult, said spokeswoman Chere Avery.

 

According to police, Castor stole the 12-year-old cat from a chair in the neighbor’s front yard Thursday afternoon, slipped it into his bookbag and took it to a canal on the 1000 block of Southeast 23rd Ave.

 

He admitted kicking the cat in the stomach and head, and then throwing it into the canal to feed a gator, police said.

 

Castor’s father said his son deeply regretted his actions.

 

“The boy’s never been in trouble in his life,” said Patrick Castor, 38. “And yes, he does feel bad about it. He’s been crying over it ever since last night.”

 

The cat’s owners said Andrew Castor led them to the canal, where they saw the dead cat still in the gator’s mouth.

 

“It had him by the tail,” said Cari Taich, 16, of 1511 S.E. 24th Avenue. “I started crying. I couldn’t breathe.”

 

Castor initially told police another boy threw the cat to the alligator, but later admitted he acted alone, police reported. Castor was also charged with giving a false statement to police.

 

Taich got the black-and-white cat, named Homeboy, when she was 5 years old, and she used to sleep with him every night.

 

Taich’s mother, Aurea Maldonado, said she still couldn’t believe the cat was dead.

 

“Twelve years he’s been with me,” said Maldonado, 48. “He was like family. He was like my son.”

 

The cruelty to animals charge is a third-degree felony, since it involves a cruel death or an excessive infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering.

 

If tried as an adult, Castor could get a maximum sentence of five years in jail and/or a $10,000 fine.

 

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had no immediate plans to remove the gator, according to spokesman Gary Morse.

 

Castor was taken to Lee County’s juvenile detention center. His status there wasn’t available Thursday afternoon, since he’s a juvenile and protected by state privacy laws.

 

Police spokesman Angelo Bitsis said he wasn’t aware of a similar case in Cape Coral in at least the last eight years.

 

Castor had never been arrested before for a felony in Cape Coral, Bitsis said. Misdemeanor arrest records are confidential because of Castor’s age.

[Guest Renegade]

“Twelve years he’s been with me,” said Maldonado, 48. “He was like family. He was like my son.”

 

The cruelty to animals charge is a third-degree felony, since it involves a cruel death or an excessive infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering.

 

If tried as an adult, Castor could get a maximum sentence of five years in jail and/or a $10,000 fine.

Even though what the kid did was clearly wrong and cruel, I find the idea of getting five years for killing a cat pretty extraordinary.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

I agree. That psychotic little motherfucker should get fifty years on a goddamn chain gang.

[Guest Vyce]

I'm so goddamn sick of the lack of responsibility. But one doesn't have to look far to understand where this kid got it from. Nice job, pa!

 

This is similar to that high school hazing incident making the rounds in the news. "Well, we know our daughters beat the everloving shit out these other girls, committing serious physical assault upon them, but don't suspend them - they might miss the prom!!!"

 

Still, though, I have to agree with Renegade. The kid should get some punishment, but five years is far too extreme. It's just a fucking ANIMAL, after all. I don't mind them throwing him in the poke for, say, a year, but five? There are people who commit manslaughter and get less than that.

[Guest EricMM]

I think one of the reasons you can get five years for something like this is: what does an action like this tell us about the person who committed (sp) it?

 

So this kid wanted to get his rocks off by watching a cat get eaten. He wasn't even that curious about what really might happen since he mauled the cat before he threw it at the alligator. He just wanted to see something die, and to me that tells me he's pretty fucking disturbed.

 

“And yes, he does feel bad about it. He’s been crying over it ever since last night.”

 

I really don't think it counts if he's been crying all night because he's probably going to jail. I'll bet if he got away with this, he'd still feel no remorse.

[Guest Sandman9000]

Too bad Florida is far awat from school.

 

Otherwise I'd go down there and feed his ignorant ass to the gator.

 

Cats > people, at times.

[Guest Samurai_Goat]

Even if it's "only" an animal, if you can't build up the compassion to care for another living creature, at least think of it this way: He's starting with cats. Soon, he may move to humans.

 

Toss him in prison, and then feed the key to another alligator.

[Guest Renegade]

Even if it's "only" an animal, if you can't build up the compassion to care for another living creature, at least think of it this way: He's starting with cats. Soon, he may move to humans.

 

Toss him in prison, and then feed the key to another alligator.

Then the kid needs mental help, sticking him in a prison cell won't do any good.

[Guest Insanityman]

I agree with Renegade, how would locking him up in a prision cell help any mental disturbance that he has? He has to have a problem if he gets his kicks off of feeding cats to alligators, but five years in jail for that? Yes, the false statement is also involved, but it's not like he stole or killed (another human being, I mean). He won't spend his whole five years in jail building "character" because he made a damn foolish mistake. He needs therapy.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

As a cat person, I'm saying this:

I want the fucker beaten to the point where a hospital stay of 2 weeks in minimum.

 

As an everyday person, I'm saying this:

$10,000 fine, 1 year in prison, and constant psych evaluation. Why the FUCK would somebody feed an innocent animal to an alligator?

[Guest Choken One]

Am I the only one that doesn't see what the big deal is?

 

IT'S A FUCKING CAT! Don't cry over it...

 

 

Sure, the kid's a fucking whack job and needs help but still...

 

IT'S A CAT!

[Guest Insanityman]

Yyyeaaahhh, I was trying to polite about not seeing the HUGE deal about it. Yes, the kid needs help. But five years is obscene. I mean, it's not like a truck driver who doesn't swerve out of his way and hits that stray cat gets this type of crap. Different situtation, same concept. But whatever, the kid has problems and jail won't solve it.

[Guest HollywoodSpikeJenkins]

Lock the fucker up.

[Guest HollywoodSpikeJenkins]

I mean, it's not like a truck driver who doesn't swerve out of his way and hits that stray cat gets this type of crap.

That's because this kid BEAT the cat, then FED it to a gator. That's different then running it over, by accident or not.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

the kid has problems and jail won't solve it.

Jail time is not intended to "solve" people's problems. Jail time is intended to serve as a punishment. The kid is an evil little fuck who gets pleasure out of torture, brutality, and killing, and for acting on his disgusting impulses he should be punished.

[Guest Insanityman]

So what would that solve? Stick a twisted fuck into the jail for five years and the kid will probably break down. Big whoop, we have another "twisted pyscho" back on the street. My parents help pay taxes so they can keep people safe and a portion of that goes into jailing criminals- this kid is not a criminal. Just a teenager who needs help. The fine seems much more fitting.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Then the kid needs mental help, sticking him in a prison cell won't do any good.

Well, then put him in a mental institution. This child is obviously sick.

[Guest Insanityman]

Exactly. So make him pay the fine and get some therapy, he apparently needs it.

[Guest Renegade]

Then the kid needs mental help, sticking him in a prison cell won't do any good.

Well, then put him in a mental institution. This child is obviously sick.

I have no problem with that. I did say he has mental problems.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

this kid is not a criminal.

What part of "third degree felony," "cruelty to animals," "feeding a gator," and "theft" did you fail to understand?

 

My parents help pay taxes so they can keep people safe and a portion of that goes into jailing criminals

Well, la de fucking da.

I pay taxes myself. Those taxes come out of a salary the government pays me to do my job, part of which involves studying and analysing criminal behaviour. Some of the criminals I've studied have included sociopaths, and they tended to have certain traits in common. This kind of extreme, premeditated, and completely detached cruelty to animals is at the very top of the list. Why did this kid kill the cat? Not because he was angry. Not because he hates cats. Even that would be less ominous a sign. No, he just wanted to see what would happen. He didn't identify with the cat as another living being. It was just an object to be brutalised for the sake of his curiosity.

It is a very small step from that to murdering a human being.

 

Just a teenager who needs help. The fine seems much more fitting.

Irrelevant. First he should go to jail and serve his sentence. He can get "help" after he's made to understand that there are consequences for his actions. A fine? Don't be ridiculous. You think a fine will have any impact on him? Of course not. His parents will pay it. His father's already starting to excuse him by telling everyone what a darling boy he is. Crying all night! Never been in trouble in his life! He feels BAD about it! What a beautiful little angel! Why, let's drop all the charges and give him some milk and cookies before he goes to bed. He's suffered enough, hasn't he?

 

No. He hasn't.

 

Five years hard time in jail isn't "obscene." What's obscene is what this CRIMINAL (not "obviously sick child who just needs help") did.

[Guest MrRant]

I would feed the kid to the gator.

[Guest Insanityman]

Well, I stand corrected. Somewhat. My opinion doesn't change- this kid, to me, shouldn't get sentenced. It wouldn't solve a fucking thing and at least the fine would put money back into the government. But I'm not saying this kid isn't a fucker who deserves to be fed to the alligator. I'm simply saying even though the facts stand against me- I feel the sentence is just not the right answer.

[Guest HollywoodSpikeJenkins]

this kid is not a criminal.

What part of "third degree felony," "cruelty to animals," "feeding a gator," and "theft" did you fail to understand?

 

My parents help pay taxes so they can keep people safe and a portion of that goes into jailing criminals

Well, la de fucking da.

I pay taxes myself. Those taxes come out of a salary the government pays me to do my job, part of which involves studying and analysing criminal behaviour. Some of the criminals I've studied have included sociopaths, and they tended to have certain traits in common. This kind of extreme, premeditated, and completely detached cruelty to animals is at the very top of the list. Why did this kid kill the cat? Not because he was angry. Not because he hates cats. Even that would be less ominous a sign. No, he just wanted to see what would happen. He didn't identify with the cat as another living being. It was just an object to be brutalised for the sake of his curiosity.

It is a very small step from that to murdering a human being.

 

Just a teenager who needs help. The fine seems much more fitting.

Irrelevant. First he should go to jail and serve his sentence. He can get "help" after he's made to understand that there are consequences for his actions. A fine? Don't be ridiculous. You think a fine will have any impact on him? Of course not. His parents will pay it. His father's already starting to excuse him by telling everyone what a darling boy he is. Crying all night! Never been in trouble in his life! He feels BAD about it! What a beautiful little angel! Why, let's drop all the charges and give him some milk and cookies before he goes to bed. He's suffered enough, hasn't he?

 

No. He hasn't.

 

Five years hard time in jail isn't "obscene." What's obscene is what this CRIMINAL (not "obviously sick child who just needs help") did.

I agree 100%

[Guest HBK16]

Feed that little fucker to a gator. Thats the only way people will learn.

[Guest Vyce]

Am I the only one that doesn't see what the big deal is?

 

IT'S A FUCKING CAT! Don't cry over it...

 

 

Sure, the kid's a fucking whack job and needs help but still...

 

IT'S A CAT!

No, I'm with you.

 

I'm not saying this kid shouldn't get punished, or even that he should get jail time. But five years? It's fucking ridiculous.

 

It's an ANIMAL.

[Guest MrRant]

But we are all mammals. Cats are intelligent in their own way.

[Guest El Psycho Diablo]

I'd rig his cell so that he sits over a gator pit, but that's me.

 

Give him a little..reminder..of why he's in there.

 

(Only an animal? I swear animals are more intelligent than some humans I deal with every day..)

[Guest Vern Gagne]

But we are all mammals. Cats are intelligent in their own way.

Cats are a smart animal. Very cunning, and know how to get on your goodside. Independent thinking, which is why I like them.

 

As for the kid everyone's talked about the kid. I'm sick and tired of parents these days making excuses for their bratty kids. No way in hell my parents would let me get away with something like this. The times I did something stupid, I was punished and learned my lesson.

 

Oh and Choken. This is someone's pet. Imagine if someone took your dog and fed it to a gator.

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

A fine and a few months in jail seems appropriate to me. 5 years is ridiculous though. Also, what's with trying the kid as an adult for such a minor offense? Trying kids as adults should be there for 14 year olds who do hits for drug dealers, not this kind of thing.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

EDIT Nevermind.