🔴 Asbury Park man admits to horrific animal abuse
🔴 Pet cat was tortured earlier than the killing
🔴 He faces a most of 5 years in jail
ASBURY PARK — A 19-year-old man has confessed to the appalling and extended torture of his pet cat that ended with him throwing the animal’s corpse out a window final yr.
Bani Mezquititla pleaded responsible to 2 counts of third-degree animal cruelty in Superior Court in Monmouth County on Tuesday.
Prosecutors will advocate 5 years in state jail for Mezquititla as a part of the plea settlement. He may also be ordered to pay restitution for the cat’s necropsy and barred from proudly owning or dwelling with animals. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, in line with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Superior Court Judge Chad Cagan stated that Mezquititla shouldn’t be a U.S. citizen and will face deportation, the Asbury Park Press reported.
Cat tortured, sexually abused
The Asbury Park police arrested Mezquititla on March 2, 2023, after his roommate discovered the corpse of his pet cat Ellie and reported it to police.
Mezquititla in court docket Tuesday admitted to performing intercourse acts on the cat within the weeks main as much as the killing. The sexual abuse, which included intercourse and using a pencil, induced critical bodily accidents.
Prosecutors stated the teenager confirmed his roommate pictures of the torture he inflicted on the animal.
🚨 GRAPHIC DETAIL: NJ man charged with torture, killing of cat denied bail
Mezquititla additionally admitted to strangling the cat to loss of life utilizing a cellphone wire earlier than throwing it out of his condo window.
Why cat rapist faces max of 5 years
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office defended Mezquititla’s sentence as “absolutely applicable” in a press release to the Asbury Park Press.
“Under New Jersey regulation, there’s a presumption of non-incarceration for defendants convicted of third-degree prison offenses, within the absence of any prison historical past – as was the case on this matter. As such, as a result of seriousness of the conduct, the state’s plea provide went far past that, and if its provisions are granted by the court docket, it could rank among the many most extreme penalties ever levied in opposition to an individual charged with animal cruelty in New Jersey.”
While different crimes can lead to a long time in jail, even probably the most wicked animal abuse can solely be charged as a third-degree crime. Any third-degree offense in New Jersey carries a most sentence of 5 years in jail.
State Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, launched laws within the wake of Mezquititla’s arrest that may make excessive animal abuse a second-degree offense.
RELATED: Cat rape case prompts NJ officers to contemplate harder penalties
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