17-year-olds Should be Charged as Adults for Setting Cat on Fire
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Baltimore, MD: On January 8, 2011, a witness told police that her grandson and his friend, both 17-year-old males, took the family cat out onto the back porch, covered her with a milk crate then doused her with lighter fluid and intentionally set her on fire. The cat, Mittens, suffered 3rd degree burns is now being cared for at Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter along with her three young kittens.
Here are three news articles detailing the case:
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/01/31/cat-set-on-fire-in-baltimore-city/
http://www.wbaltv.com/r/26668505/detail.html
According to Maryland Code § 10-606 this sounds like a clear-cut case of %u201Caggravated cruelty to animals%u201D yet these young adults are being charged as juveniles. Animal abuse is a felony crime and should be taken seriously. With extreme cases of animal cruelty on the rise in Baltimore, it%u2019s time to send a clear message these crimes will not be tolerated and perpetrators, even if teenagers, will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
What You Can Do
1. Send a brief and polite letter or email to Gregg Bernstein, State's Attorney for Baltimore City, asking him to prosecute those who abuse, torture or kill animals to the fullest extent of the law, specifically the teenage perpetrators who intentionally set the cat %u201CMittens%u201D on fire.
Gregg Bernstein
Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City
208 Mitchell Courthouse
110 North Calvert Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Email: gbernstein@stattorney.org
2. Send a brief and polite letter or email to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake asking her to support police and animal control investigations and enforcement against those who perpetrate felony animal abuse crimes as in the case of the cat %u201CMittens.%u201D
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
City Hall, Room 250
100 N. Holliday Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Email: mayor@baltimorecity.gov
3. Send a brief and polite letter or email to Baltimore City Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld asking him to handle incidents of animal cruelty as seriously as other violent felony crimes. Police spokespersons indicated they already know that animal cruelty is an indicator of violent crimes against people.
Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld
Baltimore Police Department
c/o 242 W. 29th St.
Baltimore, MD 21211-2908
Email: frederick.bealefeld@baltimorepolice.org
4. Send a brief and polite letter to Major Johnny Delgado, Commander Northwestern District Police asking him to handle reports of animal cruelty as seriously as other violent felony crimes and as such to fully investigate these crimes.
Major Johnny Delgado, Commander
Northwestern District Police Station
c/o 242 W. 29th St.
Baltimore, MD 21211-2908
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