BANI J. MEZQUITITLA faces charges for torturing, raping, abusing, and murdering his defenseless cat

- New Jersey, USA -

⚠️WARNING. The article contains details some of you may find distressing⚠️

On March 3, 2023, through a press release, the Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced that 18-years-old BANI J. MEZQUITITLA, of Asbury Park, was charged with “Animal Cruelty by Tormenting, Torturing, or Unnecessarily or Cruelly Abusing a Living Animal, Resulting in its Death, and Animal Cruelty by Using or Causing or Procuring the Use of an Animal or Creature in Any Kind of Sexual Manner, both third-degree crimes.”

According to the press release, an investigation into MEZQUITITLA’s activities was launched on March 2, 2023, after a concerned citizen brought a lifeless cat to Asbury Park Police Department headquarters.

Police along with the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Humane Law Enforcement Division determined that MEZQUITITLA was the cat’s guardian.

As stated in the release, MEZQUITITLA “is alleged to have first performed sexual acts on the animal, seriously injuring it. He is also alleged to have later restrained and tortured the cat, resulting in its death.”

MEZQUITITLA was located and placed under arrest on March 2, 2023, and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI).

According to app, on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, during MEZQUITITLA’s hearing, his defense attorney, Alton Kenney, argued that MEZQUITITLA “should be released from jail because he never harmed a human being.”

At the hearing, Assistant Prosecutor Sevan Biramian recounted the devastating and sickening events of what MEZQUITITLA is alleged to have done to his defenseless cat named Ellie.

As reported by app, Assistant Prosecutor Biramian alleged that MEZQUITITLA “had sexual intercourse with his pet cat over a period of months and also sexually abused her with a pencil; that he tortured her by repeatedly strangling her with a pulley device consisting of the phone charger cord, a door knob and a dresser knob; that he handcuffed the feline's limbs behind her back with miniature handcuffs during the torture; that he cut off her tongue and part of her jaw while she was still alive; and that once she was dead, he threw her out of his apartment window.”

Assistant Prosecutor Biramian said MEZQUITITLA filmed and took pictures of the torture inflicted on Ellie. MEZQUITITLA took selfies in which Ellie can be seen “fighting for her life as she was being strangled.” Assistant Prosecutor Biramian also said that in those selfies, MEZQUITITLA “can be seen smirking” and added: “He raped it multiple times.”

Assistant Prosecutor Biramian went on to say: “He fashioned torture devices to strangle the cat over and over, and then he dissected her while she was alive. He doesn't appear to have a conscience. He did this because Ellie was defenseless.”

For the two counts of animal cruelty that MEZQUITITLA is charged with, “there is no presumption of incarceration while awaiting trial,” reports app, and despite that, Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn ordered MEZQUITITLA held without bail to await trial.

In issuing the order, Judge Butehorn cited the strength of the evidence against MEZQUITITLA. Evidence gathered against MEZQUITITLA includes video, pictures, MEZQUITITLA’ s confession, and a veterinarian's report following a necropsy performed on Ellie. Results showed Ellie’s injuries “were consistent with the defendant having sex with her, sexually abusing her with a pencil, strangling her and dissecting her tongue and jaw while she was still alive,” reports app. Judge Butehorn said: “All of this evidence does indicate a depravity of the mind that goes far beyond animal cruelty.” Assistant Prosecutor Biramian said MEZQUITITLA confessed his abuse to investigators.

According to app, Judge Butehorn further said: “There is strong evidence to indicate that the defendant engaged in an extended course of unprovoked torture and sexual assaults on an innocent, defenseless cat.”

Citing one of the videos in which MEZQUITITLA can be seen handcuffing Ellie’s tiny paws behind her back, Judge Butehorn said: “The defendant explained the handcuffing as pretending to be a police officer and arresting the cat after it ran away.”

MEZQUITITLA's defense attorney argued that the state's bail reform law requires detention of defendants who pose a danger to the community and said: “The community is made out of people. There's nothing they can cite to say my client ever, ever harmed a human being. They're trying to equate this cat to a person.”

To this feeble and pathetic attempt to defend the murder of an innocent and defenseless cat, Assistant Prosecutor Biramian responded: “Animal cruelty, especially this sadistic, is the kind of anti-social behavior that poses the most serious risk and danger to humans. Courts have recognized the link between people who abuse animals and people who abuse humans.”

Assistant Prosecutor Biramian then mentioned one of the videos in which MEZQUITITLA can be seen “dangling” Ellie “from the pulley device while the animal struggled for air and then lowering her and allowing her to catch a breath before again lifting her in the air again. The cat can be [seen] clawing at the air during the torture before she was handcuffed.”

MEZQUITITLA's defense attorney said that rather than jail, his client needs “psychological and psychiatric treatment.” His argument went on to point out that MEZQUITITLA “has no prior record and, because of that, would be eligible for a pretrial intervention program that would afford him the chance to avoid a criminal record, so he would have no motive to flee the jurisdiction”.

According to Assistant Prosecutor Biramian, on March 2, MEZQUITITLA admitted to his roommate that he killed Ellie and threw her out of the apartment window. The roommate went outside and found Ellie’s lifeless body. The roommate is the person who then brought Ellie to the Asbury Park Police Department. Reportedly, before admitting to murdering Ellie, MEZQUITITLA told his roommate that Ellie had run away.

Assistant Prosecutor Biramian said that MEZQUITITLA’s roommate had been feeding and caring for Ellie for months but her kindness was repaid with terror. MEZQUITITLA, in fact, showed his roommate the torture videos and pictures because he “meant to terrorize the roommate.”

As Assistant Prosecutor Biramian was recounting the graphic details of what Ellie endured, he said that MEZQUITITLA admitted he first masturbated in front of her. “Then, he admitted to sticking a pencil inside the cat, then he admitted to using his penis to have intercourse with the cat,” said Assistant Prosecutor Biramian.

Assistant Prosecutor Biramian explained that “He said this started months before Ellie's death, sometime around Christmas,” and further said: “When detectives asked the defendant if he had ever done anything like this before, he laughed and said, ‘No, I’m not a psycho’.”

After hearing these shocking facts, Judge Butehorn rejected Alton Kenney’s request to release his client and ordered MEZQUITITLA held without bail.

Judge Butehorn said there also is evidence that MEZQUITITLA searched the internet to find out what the penalties are for killing a cat.

According to app, MEZQUITITLA’s defense attorney said: “There are people charged with far more serious offenses that are out on the street.”

As I was writing this article, and as happens with most of my articles, I stopped several times to wait until I had no more tears. I cannot fathom how a person can be capable of such sadistic acts. Where does this evil nature come from?

Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.

Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.

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Additional Sources:

Patch - March 17, 2023

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JEFFREY WRIGHT arrested after being caught on video aggressively beating a dog unable to fight back

- Arizona, USA -

On March 11, 2023, the Peoria Police Department received a call reporting a male abusing a dog. The reporting party explained they saw a male brutally beating a dog in the backyard of their neighbor at a home in the 25800 block of N 107th Drive in Peoria.

In a news release, Peoria Police said that Peoria Police Animal Control Officers responded to investigate and learned from the caller that they witnessed a man “abusing a dog by body slamming and kicking it repeatedly.” The caller also advised officers that the despicable actions had been caught on video.

Police said that in the video, the suspect later identified as 42-years-old JEFFREY WRIGHT (pictured), can be seen “kicking the dog, body slamming it, punching it and putting his knee on the dog causing the dog to defecate.”

Animal Control Officers took the Voiceless Victim for medical care and it was determined to have non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said that according to the dog’s guardian, WRIGHT “was just visiting at the house when the incident occurred.” To this regard, Arizona’s Family added that the dog’s guardian told investigators that “she’s had an on-and-off relationship with Wright for a few years and that he stays at the home ‘when he appears to be off drugs’.”

The furbaby was then returned to his/her guardian and the case was turned over to Peoria Police Detectives for additional follow up.

Detectives later learned that WRIGHT “had returned to the home and was staying at the residence on a regular basis,” said police.

On the early morning of Thursday, April 6, 2023, Peoria Police Property Crimes Detectives and Peoria Police Animal Control arrested WRIGHT.

The animal abuser was processed at the Peoria Police Department, and later booked at the Maricopa County Jail on a felony Animal Cruelty charge. Police said charges may be added or amended as needed.

The furvictim was “seized due to the suspect having a domestic relationship with the dog owner,” stated the release.

Just think, the witness reported the abuse on March 11, WRIGHT was arrested on April 6 and visited the home “on a regular basis”. How many times has the poor dog been abused before being rescued?

Many thanks to the witness who did not turn a blind eye! See something, make the call, save a life!

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Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.

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WRIGHT’s mugshot via Maricopa County Jail.

#animalcruelty #crueldadanimal #cruautéanimale #tierquälerei #animalslivesmatter #arizona #deathpenaltyforanimalabusers #peoria #maricopacounty #dogs #abuse

ANDREW JOHN VETTERS sentenced for repeatedly abusing his roommate’s dog

- Florida, USA -

~ Update: March 27, 2023

I am overjoyed to let you know that Mickey is alive and doing well!

His wonderful furmom Larissa tells me that “Mickey’s just celebrated his 2nd birthday.”

Larissa was kind enough to share an update on Mickey’s health.

Mickey “is safe and healthy now, and gaining confidence every day . He’s a very sweet and happy boy and I am so so grateful I’ve still got him . He unfortunately has sustained permanent damage in his rear right hip and will likely develop early onset arthritis in that hip, though he is a very young dog. The vet also sees signs of neuropathy likely related to the numerous head injuries Vetters inflicted. All that said, Mickey will live a long life and has a lot of people looking out for him, he [is] so well loved by my friends and family.”

Larissa also shared a couple of Mickey’s pictures which I have added to the gallery.

I publicly want to thank Larissa and compliment Larissa for the terrific furmom she is. I believe she is the reason why Mickey is still alive!

~ Original story:

State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden announced that on March 8, 2023, Escambia Circuit Court Judge John Simon sentenced 25-years-old ANDREW JOHN VETTERS (pictured), to six years in Florida’s Department of Corrections followed by four years of supervision on two counts of Aggravated Animal Cruelty and one count of Trespass.

On December 9, 2022, VETTERS pleaded no contest to the charges.

According to the incident report, on March 29, 2022, Sgt. Eddins with the Escambia County Animal Control and Officer Meeks with the with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to an animal abuse complaint. Officers met with Ms. Larissa Lum who told them that her roommate, later identified as VETTERS, had been abusing her dog while she was not home at her residence on 1646 Beachside Drive in Pensacola.

Larissa recounted the devastating events and said that around the week of March 7th and March 14th 2022, she noticed that her furbaby, a 22lb male Cocker Spaniel mix puppy named Mickey, “had very bloodshot eyes, was disinterested in playing or going for walks, and was experiencing chronic diarrhea.”

Larissa told officers that she then took Mickey to both Lost Key Animal Clinic in Pensacola as well as MedVet in Mobile, Alabama.

According to Larissa, the veterinarians who examined Mickey in both clinics saw signs of traumatic injuries but Larissa was adamant that trauma was not possible. She explained that whenever she was gone, Mickey stayed in her room and that Mickey was not allowed to roam free outside.

She went on to say that in the evening of March 21, 2022, “she noticed that Mickey was cowering in his crate and groaning.”

Larissa then felt Mickey’s body to see if he was injured or had a bloated stomach and “felt ‘bubbles’ or ‘pockets of air’ under his skin”.

This, together with the bloodshot eyes, and elevated liver enzymes (shown in an earlier blood test), made Larissa very concerned, and the following day she took Mickey back to Lost Key Animal Clinic.

Meanwhile, the whites of Mickey's eyes were starting to turn yellow and he also had subcutaneous emphysema.

At the clinic, the vet who examined Mickey repeatedly said that Mickey looked like a “trauma dog”. Another blood test was ordered and the results showed that Mickey's liver enzymes were excessively high. Larissa then was told that “she should prepare to say goodbye to Mickey as he may need to be put down to sleep as his liver appeared to be failing.” The veterinarian, however, tried to give Mickey fluids to see if he would get any better.

When on March 22, 2022, Larissa took Mickey to Veterinary Surgery Service in Fort Walton Beach for a liver ultrasound appointment, the vet noticed the subcutaneous emphysema and made the remark: “The only time I've ever seen a dog with this condition is when he has been shaken.”

Larissa then went back home and stayed with Mickey the rest of the week and he appeared to start recovering.

On Monday March 29, 2022, Larissa returned home from class and was going to take Mickey to his vet appointment when she noticed that his tent (bed area) had collapsed.

Larissa took Mickey to the Corry Station Vet where a veterinarian was unable to determine the cause of his symptoms.

Larissa told officers that one of the vets, Dr. Burton, asked if she was very certain Mickey had not been choked or squeezed by someone that has access to him.

At that point, Larissa went back home and began to review her “nest” camera footage that she had in her bedroom. Larissa explained to officers that kept the camera in her bedroom to keep an eye on Mickey while she was gone. What Larissa found out was horrifying!

She first came across a video of VETTERS, opening up her door and coming into her room and picking up Mickey.

Larissa told officers that “she was irritated by this because it was an invasion of privacy and also bothered Mickey while he was sick.” Larissa took Mickey and drove to a friend's house where they reviewed more of the video footage to see how many times that had happened.

Other videos from different dates and times, showed VETTERS “punching, kicking, choking, dragging, and otherwise physically abusing Mickey both inside and outside her room,” stated the report.

Officer Meeks then watched multiple videos and saw VETTERS entering Larissa’s bedroom and “each time would forcefully grab Mickey and repeatedly inflict pain on Mickey by punching, kicking, choking, and shaking him.”

Officer Meeks reported that he also saw VETTERS “hold Mickey by all 4 legs and hold him upside down and slam him down onto the bed repeatedly.” Officer Meeks further reported that he saw VETTERS “hold Mickey upside down by all 4 legs and repeatedly slam Mickey's head into the bed frame.” VETTERS was also seen in the videos “extend both of his middle fingers toward Mickey when he leaves the room.”

Larissa told officers that VETTERS had never had permission to be in her room without her and that he did not normally go into her room.

Officer Meeks spoke with Investigator Eddins and she told him that the symptoms that Mickey had were consistent with significant injuries that he would have sustained from the abuse in the videos.

From all the court documents I have read, it appears that Mickey survived the ordeal but just to be certain, I have sent out a few emails to confirm that he is in fact still alive. I will post an update should I receive a response.

Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.

Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.

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VETTERS’ mugshot shared from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

Additional source:

WRG – March 23, 2023

#animalcruelty #crueldadanimal #cruautéanimale #tierquälerei #animalslivesmatter #florida #deathpenaltyforanimalabusers #abuse #sentence