Mississippi: Police know where cat was tortured and scalded to death. Here’s why they haven’t made arrests.

MISSISSIPPPI -- Police on Friday were still investigating the scalding death of a cat, video of which went viral on Facebook earlier this week.

Police Cmdr. Stacey Deans told the Sun Herald investigators know where the scalding took place and know the woman who posted the video — which appears to have originally been made on Snapchat and then reposted on Facebook — but they want to make sure they have “the people who actually committed the criminal act.”

The video reveals a black-and-white cat in a fairly small cage sitting on the cement floor of a carport. A man taps the cage with his foot and talks to the cat. 

There’s a woman’s voice as someone pours hot liquid from a pot on the caged animal and viewers can see the cat scramble wildly trying to escape. Then they empty the pot over the cage and the cat writhes frantically.

Police and animal rescuers worked to find the cat Tuesday. They said it was tame, likely a pet, and ran under a house near Gautier Street in Moss Point not far from where the scalding allegedly took place.

An animal-rescue worker retrieved cat, which had died, from under the house Wednesday morning. The necropsy indicates it died from the scalding, police said.

“I know it looks simple, but this is a real tedious case,” Deans said. “It’s not cut-and-dry just because they have the address.”

There are two people in the video, he said, and police have identified persons of interest and are looking for them on a charge of aggravated cruelty to an animal.

“We want to charge everybody involved,” he said.

Update: LaDerrick Rostchild, 24, and Larry Rostchild Jr., 43, were charged along with Karmen Coleman.

(Sun Herald - Dec 16, 2016)

Earlier:

• Mississippi: Cat believed tortured and scalded found dead in fetal position under house