A Florida man has been arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty after allegedly abusing a two-month-old kitten in front of his daughter. David Charette Jr., 48, confessed to the acts, telling police he used the abuse to punish his daughter when she "acted up."
Law enforcement responded to reports of Charette Jr. attempting to drown and strike the kitten, named Luna, in Fort Myers. According to a probable cause statement, a witness saw Charette Jr. repeatedly strike Luna with an open hand while stating his daughter was the reason for the abuse. The kitten was heard crying in pain. The statement further alleges that Charette Jr. then struck Luna multiple times on the head with a glass bottle of nail polish.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office reported that Charette Jr. admitted to killing two other kittens within the past year. One kitten was allegedly smothered with a bleach-soaked rag, and another was reportedly burned with a blow dryer. The statement indicated that burns on one kitten's ears were so severe that "portions of Salem's ears began to fall off."
During a search of the property, deputies found the body of one kitten. Witnesses also reported seeing Charette Jr. place Luna inside a clothes dryer and activate it on multiple occasions. Following these incidents, the kitten became lethargic and inactive. Charette Jr. reportedly told one witness that he and Luna had "played rough."
Charette Jr. allegedly told a family member that he beat the kittens because "no one else cares about him." The arrest occurred Saturday evening, with animal control removing three other adult cats from the residence for evaluation.
Luna was transported to an animal hospital and is reportedly recovering. Family members had reportedly not reported previous abuse due to fear of retaliation.