A Florida father is behind bars after allegedly killing two kittens and injuring a third in front of his teenage daughter, according to authorities.
David Charette Jr., 48, faces an aggravated animal cruelty charge. Police say the alleged acts were a form of punishment. Body camera footage shows Charette outside his Pine Manor home shortly after the incident, telling officers, "The cat is in perfectly healthy condition. I have to give the cat a bath because it soils itself in the cage."
However, the 14-year-old daughter inside the property told a different story. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said, "The daughter says that when she acts up or when she's in trouble, her father kills her kittens. This is sickening to me."
Daughter's 911 call details alleged abuse
The teen called 911 on Wednesday, claiming she watched her father hold a 2-month-old kitten named Luna under running water. She also told police Charette hit the kitten with a nail polish bottle and forced it into a clothes dryer. Luna survived and is recovering.
Marceno said two other kittens were buried in the back. One cat died in June after being repeatedly struck and left on a bleach-soaked rag, while another kitten passed away after suffering burns from a blow dryer.
Neighbors and family react
One neighbor expressed shock, saying, "It's ridiculous. It's horrible. It's sad." Another added, "Killed in front of the child, it's horrible. It's sad. It's heartbreaking and it just makes me very upset."
Family members reportedly never reported the alleged crimes out of fear of what Charette might do to them. Charette is now in jail, charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
