Indiana: The cat that Noah Riley tied up, doused in gasoline, set on fire and threw from his vehicle has died of her injuries

INDIANA -- The cat found badly burned in a Montgomery County field last week has died, according to officials with the Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County.

The cat, nicknamed Phoenix, had been showing signs of recovery over the weekend, but her condition took a turn for the worse Sunday, and officials with the Animal Welfare League said Phoenix passed away.

“It is with a heavy heart and a lot of tears I tell you our baby girl got her wings. Fly high Phoenix,” the group wrote on Facebook just after 9 p.m. Sunday.

On Saturday, the group said she was showing signs of improvement. Even Sunday morning, they described her as a fighter and said she was stable.

By Sunday night, Phoenix was in critical condition and experiencing respiratory problems. The veterinarians were concerned she had fluid in her lungs, the group posted around 8:15 p.m. Less than an hour later, the group posted that Phoenix had died.

A retired firefighter found Phoenix Wednesday night. He was at home watching TV he saw a flame shoot up from a field. Phoenix was covered in gasoline and someone had put a firecracker on top of her. She was taken to Purdue Animal Hospital for treatment.

Thursday night, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of 19-year-old Noah Riley in connection with the case. Riley, who faces two counts of animal cruelty, told police he’d seen several social media posts about the cat and wanted to “get the issue resolved.”

(CBS4INDY - Jan 16, 2017)

Earlier:

• Indiana: Police say Noah Riley, 19, tied a cat's legs together, doused her in gasoline, lit her on fire and threw her out his car window to burn to death

Indiana: Police say Noah Riley, 19, tied a cat's legs together, doused her in gasoline, lit her on fire and threw her out his car window to burn to death

INDIANA -- A 19-year-old Crawfordsville man has been arrested in connection to a cat that was doused with gasoline, lit on fire and left to die.

Noah A. Riley, 19, of Crawfordsville, was arrested shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday.

“Mr. Riley, after seeing the discussion on social media about his actions, started 'feeling guilty' and turned himself in to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office,” Chief Deputy Ryan Needham said. “Road Officer Jared Kirby interviewed Riley who admitted to setting a cat on fire Wednesday night on C.R. 500S.

More likely he knew someone would turn him in and his mommy and daddy got him a lawyer who said turn yourself in and then try to get a plea deal that says you knew you were wrong, you're sorry and you 'did the right thing' by turning yourself in. 

Riley was booked into the Montgomery County Jail at 8:06 p.m. He is being charged with cruelty to an animal, a Class 6 felony and abandoning and neglecting an animal, an A misdemeanor. He is being held on $1,000 cash bond.

The arrest stems from an incident that occurred Wednesday night. When Steve Wright of New Market heard a vehicle stopped out in front of his home on C.R. 500 S., he thought the driver might be having mechanical issues.

What he saw when he looked out the window was a flame of fire shooting about six feet into the air and heard a cat screeching in pain. 

The vehicle sped away leaving a female cat who had been doused with gasoline and set on fire, with all four feet bound with a rope. 

The person who left in the vehicle had attached an M-80 explosive to the rope as if he wanted it to explode to further hurt the cat. 

Wright immediately called 9-1-1. The dispatcher then notified the Montgomery County Welfare League of a potential animal abuse case at approximately 10 p.m.

AWL employee Misha Anderson responded to the call. She found the cat in shock and took it back to the shelter. Not knowing if the cat would succumb to its injuries, she decided to wait to see if the feline could make it through the night.

“I was heart broken and I told her if she could hang on through the night, I would take her to Purdue in the morning,” Anderson said.

Early Thursday morning, Anderson found the cat alive. In fact, the cat was walking and attentive but in a lot of pain. So, Anderson placed her in a cage and sped to the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.

The Purdue veterinarians said the cat had received severe burns around its mouth, nose and ears. However, there were few burns to its skin, but they were concerned about the condition of the cat’s lungs because of possible inhalation of fire and smoke.

“I think the cat’s wet fur actually prevented her from having her whole body burnt badly,” Anderson said. “Where she had little hair, like around her eyes and ears, she had bad burns.”

Veterinarians kept the cat all day Thursday for lung x-rays and further evaluation.

AWL is committed to help the cat to full recover if Purdue veterinarians believe the cat has a chance to live. They are now seeking donations to help with the expected large expenses.

“If anyone wants to donate to the medical expenses we will apply all we receive to the case,” Anderson said.

(Journal Review - Jan 13, 2017)

Florida: Kurtis White of Fort Lauderdale, Florida Arrested for Animal Cruelty

FLORIDA -- Kurtis White of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was arrested Thursday after he allegedly threw an artillery shell at a pit bull that had come into his yard, news sources report. The pit bull was later euthanized because of the severity of its injuries. White, 22, was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on charges of animal cruelty. He was released the following day after bonding out on $2,500. The press did not say whether White had hired an attorney.

According to reports, the pit bull’s name was “White Boy” and it belonged to Kim Denson, who lives not far from White’s home. A witness reportedly told police that White Boy was a dangerous dog and had bitten neighbors in the past. It was not clear at press time whether anyone had filed complaints about White Boy in the past.

Reports say this latest incident occurred on July 7 in White’s backyard in the 1000 block of Northwest 26th Avenue. That day, White Boy escaped his home and went to White’s yard, where White keeps Patches, his female pit bull. White went outside and was reportedly confronted by a growling White Boy, who stood between White and his dog.

White apparently retreated back into his home, then left with another witness to tell Denson that her dog was in his yard. When White returned to his home, he allegedly armed an artillery shell and hurled it at White Boy. The resulting explosion hit and injured the dog. Denson reportedly witnessed White throwing the explosive device.

Following the explosion, White Boy was taken to the veterinarian for treatment. Reports say he sustained a broken leg and deep lacerations and needed a blood transfusion. Denson decided to put the dog down due to the severity of the injuries. White gave Denson $300 for White Boy's veterinary treatment, reports say.

Police later confronted White about the incident. He reportedly said he only threw the artillery shell to scare White Boy away, not injure him. It was not immediately clear whether White had a license to own an artillery shell, which used to be used in wars but are now mostly used as high-powered fireworks. Old, unexploded WWII and Civil War artillery shells are still found on occasion.

Sadly, animal cruelty is an ongoing problem throughout the United States and South Florida.

 Earlier this year, Juan Herrera Diaz of Coconut Creek was arrested after he allegedly lifted his puppy, Princess, by her leash and let her fall to the ground, sources report. Diaz, 64, was booked into the Broward County Main Jail on charges of animal cruelty. His bond was set at $6,500. It is unclear whether he obtained legal aid.

According to reports, the incident occurred on January 1, 2013 near Diaz’s home in the El Rancho Seven mobile home park. Princess, a Chihuahua and Dachshund mix, was not cooperating with Diaz’s orders, so he allegedly picked her up by her leash and let her fall back to the ground. A witness saw the alleged act and called police, sources say. Diaz was subsequently arrested. Princess sustained a broken pelvis, but is reportedly doing fine.

(Brian Silber - August 26, 2013)