ASPCA® Arrests New York Man for Kicking Cat Down Flight of Stairs, Causing its Death

A two-year pursuit of a criminal finally ended on Sunday when Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) agents of the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) arrested Manhattan resident Wilfredo LaBoy for kicking a neighbor’s cat down a flight of stairs and causing its death.

On Sunday, October 24, ASPCA Special Investigator Mark MacDonald placed Laboy under arrest at Manhattan Criminal Court, where Laboy appeared for unrelated charges. ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement agents pursued LaBoy since the incident occurred on August 18, 2008. The cat, a one-year-old female calico named Chyna, was later euthanized at the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital.

"LaBoy did his best to elude us, but we continued to pursue him, and would not stop until we could bring him to justice," said Stacy Wolf, vice president and chief legal counsel for the ASPCA's HLE department. "We hope this case will set an example for perpetrators of animal cruelty--that passage of time won't deter us."

Laboy, 25, was charged with felony aggravated cruelty. If convicted, he faces up to two years in jail, fines, probation, and a "no animal" order if deemed appropriate.