EAST BOSTON -- Police are searching for a suspect who lit a cat on fire and threw it at a house.
According to the owner of the home, he kicked a couple of people off of his property, and he believes that they may be the culprits.
The suspect allegedly lit a cat on fire and threw it at a window of the home on Princeton Street. The burnt feline bounced off of the window and rolled onto the street as the suspect ran away.
It is believed that the animal is a neighborhood stray, however the cat was burned beyond recognition.
In addition to the Boston Police Department, arson investigators and law enforcement from the MSPCA are investigating the incident.
"Everybody knows what it's like to be burned," Peter Gollub, from the MSPCA, said. "And for someone to know what that feels like, and then go ahead and do something anyhow, it suggests a certain psychological disconnect that is very very troublesome."
Neighbors are very concerned about their own pets.
"I make sure I walk all my dogs, and I don't let my cat out of the house," Lynn Mackey, neighbor, said. "If she happens to jump out by accident, I do chase her 'cause I do not trust people."
Police describe the suspect as a while male between the ages of 18 and 23 years of age. He was wearing jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt and a green army hat as the time of the incident.
The punishment for cruelty to animals is punishable by up to five years in jail.
(Copyright (c) 2007 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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