Florida man who lit cat on fire, fed it to dogs, gets no jail time
MIAMI, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - A 19-year-old Florida man accused of setting a caged cat on fire and then feeding the corpse to his dogs will not see the inside of a jail cell.
According to the Miami Herald, Roberto Hernandez was sentenced on Friday to 5 years of probation. The judge on the case said she believed Hernandez's defense--that he thought the cat was actually a rabid raccoon that was reportedly attacking animals in the area.
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Circuit Judge Nashin Sayfie sentenced him to five years of probation plus 100 hours of community service. Prosecutors had asked for Hernandez to spend 364 days in jail.
Hernandez was 17 when video surveillance showed him pouring a flammable liquid over the animal and set it on fire with matches, watching the animal burn while he grabbed a drink and watched.
He's then accused of feeding the animal to his pit bulls. A neighbor witnessed the crime.
Hernandez pleaded guilty to one count of felony animal abuse.