GREENVILLE, N.C. — Investigators have identified and charged a Chicago teenager for the animal abuse that went viral online this week.
The Sun Times Network identified Leon Teague, 18, of Illinois as the man seen pouring boiling water on a cat.
Records show that Teague has been charged with felony animal torture and misdemeanor depicting animal cruelty. Teague is expected in a Chicago courtroom Friday.
Animal activists report the cat has been found alive but Animal Control officers in Chicago were unable to catch the animal.
Greenville Police reports thousands of calls alerting Eastern North Carolina agencies about the video after a local man posted the video to his Facebook page.
The Greenville Police Department and Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigators questioned the man in connection to the video Thursday in response to the public outcry.
ABC7 in Chicago filed this story on Teague’s arrest.
Records show that Teague has been charged with felony Animal Torture and misdemeanor Depicting Animal Cruelty. Teague was expected to be in a Chicago courtroom Friday.
Animal activists report the cat has been found alive but Animal Control officers in Chicago were unable to catch the animal.
Greenville Police Department reported that thousands of calls came in alerting eastern North Carolina agencies about the video after a local man posted the video to his Facebook page.
Greenville Police Department and Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigators questioned the man in connection to the video Thursday in response to the public outcry.
***POSTED at 7:46 P.M. on Thursday, February 4th***
Greenville, NC (WNCT) — A video posted to Facebook is getting international attention and has been shared thousands of times.
The post shows a man dumping a pot of boiling water on a cat waiting outside a window. Facebook users are linking the video to Greenville, North Carolina because of other posts on the profile that has since been deleted. The Greenville Police Department (GPD) reports dispatch received an extreme influx of calls about the video and is now working to verify the content and the location of the incident.
Animal lovers across the globe are up in arms over the post. The video shows a pot of boiling water on the stove. The man then takes the pot over to the window where an unsuspecting cat is waiting. When the man opens the window, the cat loudly meows and looks for attention. That’s when the man throws the boiling water on the cat, which screams in pain and attempts to run away but is trapped on the porch.
Investigators have identified the Facebook user who allegedly posted the video. They are now working with other agencies in Eastern North Carolina to verify the video and find the cat that may be injured. Greenville animal activists are also working to locate the cat to check up on its condition after the incident. GPD is taking the case very seriously. If this video is verified, the man who threw the water could face felony animal cruelty charges.
The Greenville Police Department shared the following post on its Facebook page:
A MESSAGE TO OUR FOLLOWERS: We have received an overwhelming amount of messages and tips from people all over the world in regard to an apparent incident of animal cruelty involving a cat. To protect the integrity of the investigation, and due to the graphic content, we will not be re-posting the video here and have deleted any posts to our page that include a link to the video. We wanted to reassure everyone that we have taken this video seriously. Very early this morning, we were able to determine that the individual who posted this video does NOT live in Greenville; however, it’s possible he visits this area. Early this morning, our telecommunicators were able to identify an address for him in Martin County. They immediately notified authorities with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, who located him a little after 8:00 AM today. Our detectives are currently in Martin County, working with members of the Martin County Sheriff’s office, to interview the individual who posted this video. We would like to reiterate that no one has been arrested at this point. We are still in the very preliminary stages of an investigation. Detectives have not yet determined who the person is in the video, where this occurred, or IF this occurred in Eastern North Carolina. For that reason, we will be holding off on any media interviews for the time being, until we can determine more information. We realize there were multiple other agencies in the area who received information about this and we will be reaching out to them as the investigation continues. Thanks for your patience. We share in your concern and passion for animals and we want to assure you that a thorough and complete investigation is being conducted.”
