- Florida, USA -
The Tampa Police Department has arrested 27-years-old ERIC LEE JARAY HARRIS JR., a Pasco Sheriff's Office deputy, on a charge of felony animal cruelty.
Police said that on August 21, 2022, HARRIS got into an argument with his then-girlfriend.
The couple had been together for six months and she had moved into his Tampa apartment a month prior.
According to police, HARRIS “was upset over his girlfriend's two cats defecating on the floor outside of their litter box and jumping onto the counters and furniture.”
The day after the argument, on August 22, 2022, the girlfriend returned to the apartment in the evening to find her both furbabies “hiding in their crate.”
The woman pulled one of the two cats from the crate, a 3-year-old male named Alex, whose toenails were “broken and bloody.”
As stated in a press release, Alex was “acting oddly and unable to stand using his rear legs” so the woman immediately took him to his regular vet in Sarasota.
After examining Alex, the vet recommended the furbaby be taken to an animal hospital for urgent care.
Sadly, Alex died the same day due to his injuries.
Given the severity of Alex’s injuries, the doctor thankfully did the right thing and alerted law enforcement.
HARRIS was questioned by detectives but being a true coward who only goes after living beings who cannot fight back, he did not own up and denied any wrongdoing. The coward even claimed, “the cat was fine during the time that he was alone in the apartment with him.”
On August 26, 2022, a necropsy was conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), and results showed Alex “suffered severe hemorrhaging and bruising to internal organs, facial injuries, including a missing tooth, and markings were found on his body indicating that he had been stomped. His cause of death was ruled as blunt force trauma.”
Police arrested HARRIS on August 31, 2022, on felony animal cruelty.
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, “The Pasco Sheriff's Office has confirmed Harris' employment was terminated when he was arrested.”
It took me a long time to type this. Every time I read the necropsy’s results, I kept imagining Alex being tortured, crying in pain, and unable to dial 911.
HARRIS, say again that your life matters after you took an innocent and precious one!!!
Online records show the filthy murderer was released from the Hillsborough County Jail after posting bond!
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