Hearing for Asbury Park man accused having intercourse with, killing cat
A detention listening to for Bani J. Mezquititla, who’s accused of getting intercourse with, torturing and killing his pet cat, Ellie, was held.
Doug Hood, Asbury Park Press
FREEHOLD A 19-year-old Asbury Park man pleaded responsible Tuesday to 2 counts of animal cruelty, admitting he raped and killed his pet cat in what one longtime animal rights activist referred to as the worst case of animal abuse she has ever seen.
Bani J. Mezquititla appeared earlier than Superior Court Judge Chad N. Cagan and admitted having intercourse together with his pet cat from December 2022 till February 2023 and, someday between Feb. 21 and Feb. 24, hanging the animal by a phone-charging wire, strangling her to dying.
The state will suggest Mezquititla be sentenced to the utmost time period for every of the animal cruelty counts – 5 years in jail, stated Keri-Leigh Schaefer, assistant Monmouth County prosecutor. But, beneath phrases of Mezquititla’s plea settlement, the state will suggest that the 2 phrases be served concurrently, limiting his jail time to 5 years.
The agreed-upon sentence doesn’t comprise a interval disqualifying the defendant from being launched on parole earlier than serving the complete 5 years.
Mezquititla’s legal professional, William Wackowski, advised the decide he’ll ask for a lesser time period at sentencing.
Under phrases of the plea cut price, Mezquititla agreed to be completely barred from proudly owning any animals, Schaefer stated.
Because Mezquititla is just not a United States citizen, he additionally faces deportation because of the prison conviction, Cagan advised the defendant.
Seven animal rights activists sat within the courtroom to look at the plea listening to. Some of them wore purple buttons adorned with a drawing of a cat and the phrases, “Ellie mattered,” referring to the abused pet’s title.
Among the courtroom spectators was Janine Motta, director of the Animal Protection League of New Jersey, who wore a shirt emblazoned with a purple coronary heart surrounding the phrases, “Ellie RIP.”
Tears rolled down Motta’s cheek following the listening to.
When requested why she was so emotional, Motta replied,”I’m simply pondering of her (Ellie). What was she pondering? Was she screaming?”
Motta stated she feels the sentences for the 2 counts of animal cruelty must be run consecutive to one another.
“He ought to have gotten 10 years,” Motta stated of the defendant. “To serve the phrases concurrently does not do her justice.”
Responding to Motta, the prosecutor’s workplace issued the next assertion:
“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 courtroom, it will rank among the many most extreme penalties ever levied towards an individual charged with animal cruelty in New Jersey. As such, we strongly really feel that the plea provide was absolutely applicable, and serves the pursuits of justice.”
Mezquititla saved his again to the courtroom gallery whereas admitting his crimes.
He did so by merely answering “sure” to a collection of questions posed to him by his legal professional.
Wackowski requested Mezquititla if he sodomized or had intercourse together with his cat between December 2022 and February 2023. He additionally requested his consumer if he hung the cat by a telephone charger, leading to her strangulation dying between Feb. 21 and Feb. 24.
Mezquititla was arrested March 2, after he confirmed his roommate photographs of the cat being tortured. He additionally advised his roommate that he threw the feline out of their condominium window. The roommate went outdoors, retrieved Ellie’s corpse and introduced it to the Asbury Park Police Department, spurring an investigation.
During the probe, Mezquititla confessed to the abuse, telling police it started with him masturbating in entrance of the cat in December 2022 and escalated to repeated acts of sexual activity with the animal in addition to sexually penetrating her with a pencil.
Authorities stated Mezquititla repeatedly tortured the cat by strangling her with a pulley machine normal out of a phone-charger wire, door knob and dresser knob, and he restrained her in the course of the torture by binding her paws behind her again with miniature handcuffs. He additionally minimize off her tongue and a part of her jaw whereas she was nonetheless alive and took pictures and video of a number of the torture, authorities stated.
“This is the worst I’ve seen,” Motta stated, when requested how this case in comparison with others she’s been made conscious of throughout her 35 years with the Animal Protection League.
“People have to appreciate the capability for struggling that animals have and, oftentimes, folks do not acknowledge that Ellie suffered, not simply as soon as, however she suffered a number of instances, and it did not finish till she was useless,” Motta stated.
Mezquititla, after being deemed mentally match to face trial, tried to realize acceptance right into a courtroom diversionary program that will have left him with out a prison document if he efficiently accomplished it. He was denied admittance into this system, and Superior Court Judge Christie L. Bevacqua subsequently upheld his rejection.
Cagan scheduled Mezquititla’s sentencing for June 13.
The defendant has been held with out bail on the Monmouth County Jail since his arrest.
Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, courtroom instances, authorized points and nearly each main homicide trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at [email protected].
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