BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Merritt Island woman was jailed after she was seen viciously attacking a cat to “get back at” a family member over the weekend, according to Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
In an arrest affidavit, deputies said that they were called to a local Publix store on Saturday afternoon due to a “possible runaway juvenile.”
Deputies said they responded and brought the girl back home to her mother, identified as 49-year-old Sara Jenkins.
However, a neighbor called 911 soon after, reporting that they could hear Jenkins and her daughter screaming at one another, the affidavit shows.
As a result, deputies explained they returned to the home to investigate.
“Without being prompted to, Sara Jenkins spontaneously uttered that the cat attacked her, resulting in (the daughter) stating that Sara Jenkins attacked the cat first,” the affidavit reads.
But it turned out that the daughter had recorded what happened on her cell phone, which shows Jenkins chasing the cat — nicknamed “Mila” — around the home, investigators reported.
Ivey said that Jenkins punched, choked and threw Mila on the ground during the incident.
According to deputies, Jenkins also made several threats against the cat, including statements like, “I’ll (EXPLETIVE) kill her, I don’t care.”
Despite that, Jenkins claimed she had only picked Mila up and accidentally dropped him when he bit her, deputies added.
Regardless, she was arrested and now faces a charge of animal cruelty. She was released around a day later on bond of $2,500.
That said, Ivey announced that Mila survived the attack and was being cared for by veterinarians.
“What I can tell you is what (Jenkin has) done is disgusting, despicable, and just gut-wrenching evil,” Ivey continued.
Jenkins’ next court date is scheduled for March 17.