FREMONT, Calif. (KRON) — Officers of the East Bay Regional Park District Police Department arrested a man after reports of a cat being slammed into the ground at Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area on Wednesday.
The EBRPDPD is responsible for patrolling 73 Regional Parks in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area is near Alameda Creek in Fremont, adjacent to Rainbow Lake and the Alameda Creek Regional Trail.
The EBRPDPD announced the arrest in a Facebook post on Thursday. In the post, EBRPDPD described that after officers arrived on scene, they found the deceased cat and took photos for evidence. After speaking with witnesses in the area, the man seen harming the cat was arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail on charges of felony animal cruelty.
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According to California Penal Code 597, the punishment for animal cruelty can be quite severe. If charged as a felony the man could face prison time or a fine up to $20,000. In March KRON4 reported that a San Jose man found guilty of killing at least 18 cats will face 16 years behind bars for his crimes.