A couple is facing charges after they were filmed torturing a small kitten while swimming at a local beach – throwing the helpless animal feet in the air like a pool toy and into the shoulder-deep water.
When approached by outraged onlookers, the suspects, 27-year-old John Laguerre and Jamarria Wayne, 22, joked and demanded $1,000 from the Good Samaritans stop.
The incident transpired late last month in Miami and saw both suspects arrested by officers on the sands of scenic Sunny Isles Beach – but not before resisting arrest and even almost biting one of the officers.
The entire altercation was caught on camera by one beachgoer, and shows the suspects repeatedly tossing the animal much to the horror of other beachgoers.
The kitten, pictured clinging to life after the ordeal, thankfully survived, but was on the verge of death when police intervened, police said.
Both suspects have since been bonded out, with Wayne charged with two felony counts of battery and attempted battery on a police officer and resisting arrest, while Laguerre was hit with resisting arrest and animal cruelty – both misdemeanors.
Following their arrest, the pair failed to return to retrieve their pet – spurring one of the feline’s saviors to step up and adopt the animal.
The woman has since been able to rehome the kitten, saying amid all the chaos, all she cared about was making sure the animal made it out of the mayhem unscathed.
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A couple is facing charges after they were filmed torturing a small kitten while swimming at a local beach – throwing the helpless animal feet in the air and into the shoulder-deep water
When approached by outraged onlookers, the suspects joked and demanded money to stop – before continuing to torture the animal, who appears almost comatose in the footage
Suspects John Laguerre, 27, and Jamarria Wayne, 22, were arrested by officers on the sands of Miami’s scenic Sunny Isles Beach as a result of the September incident, and are facing battery and animal cruely charges, in addition to resisting arrest. The pair are both free on bond
‘They were throwing her like this into the water,’ Miami resident Natalia Martin recalled of the abuse, which spurred her to rise up from her towel and confront the kitten’s attackers.
‘They were trying to make her swim and the cat was so scared, she was passing out already. She was half alive.’
However, upon approaching the young couple – who was filmed wading in the Florida waves as Laguerre clutches the limp kitten with one hand – Martin was rebuffed by the couple, who allegedly began to intimidate the woman.
‘The guy started being so aggressive towards me,’ Martin told Local10 of the ensuing standoff.
‘He starts stepping up,’ she said of Laguerre’s response to being reprimanded during the episode, which occurred on September 24.
‘He says, ‘Hey, look, this is my cat. This is not your business. I can do what I want,’ she said.
The incident transpired late last month in Miami and saw both suspects arrested by officers on the sands of scenic Sunny Isles Beach – but not before violently resisting arrest (pictured)
The small kitten, pictured clinging to life after the ordeal, survived the ordeal, thanks to the intervention of an outraged Good Samaritan who called the cops
At that point, the 5-foot-9, 190 pound offender allegedly began to toy with and even attempt to extort Martin, telling her, ‘If you don’t want me to throw the cat, give me $1,000 right now.’
Outraged by the seemingly sarcastic proposition, Martin promptly called beach security – and eventually local police.
All the while, the couple persisted with the abuse, which by that point had attracted the attention of dozens of other beachgoers also outraged over the pair’s treatment of the animal.
‘They were throwing her like this into the water,’ Martin said. ‘They were trying to make her swim and the cat was so scared, she was passing out already. She was half alive.’
The heartwrenching clip shows the pair tossing the animal amongst each other like a frisbee, much to the horror of other beachgoers. The cat survived and has since been rehomed
Footage taken by one beachgoer seemed to corroborate Marin’s account of the incident – with it showing Laguerre repeatedly tossing the animal several feet in the air at multiple points, as he and his female companion soaked in the critter’s misery.
The heart-wrenching clip shows the pair tossing the animal amongst each other like a frisbee, much to the horror of other beachgoers.
Throughout the abuse, the kitten – who appeared no more than a few months old – remained deathly still, seemingly comatose from the repeated shock of being plummeted into the crashing surf.
Undeterred by their pet’s apparent plight, the couple continued to toss the animal despite Martin’s and others’ repeated protests, until cops eventually arrived.
Following their arrest, the pair failed to return to retrieve their pet – spurring one of the feline’s saviors, Miami resident Natalie Martin (pictured) to step up and adopt the animal, after confronting the perpetrators
The woman has since been able to rehome the kitten, saying amid all the chaos, all she cared about was making sure the animal made it out of the mayhem unscathed
‘They were just trying to pick her up and throw her again,’ Martin said. ‘There was a beach full of people. They were trying to look and see what was going on. Everyone was shocked.’
Eventually, police approached the couple about breaking the ‘no animals on the beach’ rules, and asked them to leave the premises.
That’s when, according to a police report, Laguerre resisted arrest, hurling profanities at officers while defying their orders to vacate the beach without incident.
The woman, meanwhile, reportedly screamed at the officers, threatening them and saying she would ‘bite them,’ cops wrote.
Eventually matters escalate to the point where the encounter became physical, forcing eight officers to force down the resisting pair on the sands of the beach and put them in handcuffs.
Both were charged with resisting an officer without violence to his person – a misdemeanor – while Wayne was hit with one count each of battery and attempted battery against a peace officer.
At this point in the unrest, Martin said she was unconcerned about the fates of the cat’s two attackers – and was focused only on the well being of the kitten.
Eventually, one of the officers handed her the soaked animal, which she then put in a towel and helped nurse back to health.
‘The police officer gave me this kitty,’ Martin said. ‘I put her in the towel, wrote the police report – me and my friend, we did the police report.’
She added of the kitten’s sad state following the incident: ‘The kitten was saved. She was all shaking – she was barely alive.’
The cat was then taken to a local animal services facility, where it stayed for two days.
After the incident, cat was then taken to a local animal services facility, where she stayed for two days before being adopted and rehomed by Martin. The cat – who appeared to be no more than a few months old – did not sustain any visible injuries as a result of the abuse
At that point, Laguerre and Wayne – who were bailed out on $2,000 and $12,500 bond, respectively – had failed to retrieve the animal, allowing Martin to adopt him – something she said she is eternally thankful for.
‘I took this cat. I adopted her officially two days after this incident,’ Martin said.
She has since found a new home for the kitten, who did not sustain any visible injuries.
The case against Laguerre and Wayne is currently ongoing.
