Bronx man indicted in bloody cat death case after Instagram posts
BRONX, NY — A Bronx man is accused of bringing a stray cat into his home, then torturing it to death and posting images of the bloodied animal on Instagram, according to an indictment announced by Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark.
David Mosley, 26, was arraigned Monday in Bronx Supreme Court on charges of Aggravated Cruelty to Animals and Torturing and Injuring Animals, the District Attorney’s Office said. Mosley pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to return to court on March 17, 2026, before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas.
Prosecutors allege the case began unfolding online. Investigators say that on or about October 11, Mosley posted a photo on Instagram showing himself with a live cat. Then, on or about October 22, an image appeared on Instagram showing a cat lying motionless in what looked like a pool of blood.
Detectives executed a search of Mosley’s apartment on October 29 and observed dried biological material on the floor, prosecutors said. That material was later determined by the ASPCA to be feline blood, according to the announcement.
With assistance from the ASPCA, investigators concluded the live cat shown in the October 11 social media post was the same animal pictured in the October 22 post, the District Attorney’s Office said. Detectives also obtained surveillance video from Mosley’s apartment building that shows him carrying the cat into his apartment on October 9 while the animal was still alive, prosecutors said.
When questioned, Mosley told detectives he found the cat after it died, according to the investigation summary released by the District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Clark, in announcing the indictment, said the defendant is accused of torturing a stray cat taken into his home, and that investigators allege he posted images of a dead cat online and bragged about what he had done.
The case is being prosecuted by Major Case Assistant District Attorney Melanie Smith of the Investigations Division, under the supervision of Special Investigations Bureau leadership and the Investigations Division command staff, the District Attorney’s Office said. The announcement also credited Bronx DA Crime Strategies Bureau Intelligence Analyst Gabrielle Aarons, members of the Bronx DA’s Squad, the NYPD Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad, and ASPCA forensic veterinarian Dr. Laura Niestat for their roles.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
Key Points
- Bronx man David Mosley, 26, indicted on animal cruelty charges tied to a cat’s death
- Prosecutors allege Instagram posts showed the cat alive, then motionless in apparent blood
- ASPCA testing found feline blood in the apartment, and surveillance allegedly showed the cat brought inside alive
