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Bani Mezquititla, 19, was sentenced on Thursday, June 13 to five years in state prison, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release. He pleaded guilty to two third-degree animal cruelty charges in April.
Investigators said Mezquititla seriously injured the cat named Ellie after performing "sexual acts" on it, then killed it after restraining and torturing it.
"It is virtually impossible to conceive of an instance of animal cruelty reflective of greater depths of depravity than this," said Santiago. "Thanks to a diligent investigation and prosecution, yesterday’s sentencing marked one of the most substantial criminal penalties for an offense of this nature ever seen in the State of New Jersey. It is the maximum sentence one can receive under the law.
"We strongly feel that this outcome serves the interests of justice, and hope that the numerous individuals from across the country who have reached out urging us to win justice for Ellie are similarly satisfied."
Asbury Park police began investigating after someone brought a dead cat's body to the department's headquarters on Thursday, Mar. 2, 2023. The humane law enforcement division for the Monmouth County SPCA determined that Mezquititla owned the cat.
Mezquititla was arrested on the same day the investigation began and he has been held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution since his arrest. A grand jury indicted him in May 2023.
The teen is also banned from ever owning an animal or living with one, and he must pay the cost of the cat's necropsy.
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