HOWELL TOWNSHIP, NJ – A Howell Township resident, Christopher Sanchez, 29, admitted to the intentional killing of his pet cat, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago reported Tuesday.
Sanchez pled guilty to third-degree Animal Cruelty and Simple Assault during a hearing before Judge Scott C. Arnette at the Monmouth County Superior Court. The charges stem from an incident earlier this year, where Sanchez used a sharp instrument to kill his cat, Lilith.
The Howell Township Police Department, responding to an unrelated matter on March 31, discovered the cat’s body. An investigation by the police and the Monmouth County SPCA Humane Law Enforcement Division linked Sanchez to the crime.
In addition to the animal cruelty charge, Sanchez faced a Simple Assault charge for attacking his roommate after the incident. Assistant Prosecutors Keri-Leigh Schaefer and Sevan Biramian are handling the prosecution.