Authorities Seek Juveniles Accused of Setting Kitten on Fire in Texas

Authorities in Harris County, Texas, are on the lookout for two juveniles suspected of committing a shocking act early Thursday morning. Around 1 a.m., on the 12600 block of Drifting Woods Drive, surveillance cameras captured the harrowing scene of a 6-week-old kitten set ablaze, running down the street as a dog, reportedly belonging to one of the suspects, chased after it.

Witnesses, including Arleth Garcia, initially mistook the disturbing sounds for a party. “I heard laughing. I thought they were having a party outside or something,” Garcia recounted. However, upon stepping outside, Garcia and a friend encountered a far grimmer reality. “The video was terrible. I mean, that cat burned for a while and suffered greatly,” said Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen.

In a desperate attempt to save the kitten, Garcia’s friend tried to extinguish the flames with water and clumps of grass, but their efforts were in vain. The kitten, severely injured, was taken by deputies and the SPCA to a veterinarian, where it had to be euthanized due to the extent of its injuries.

Constable Rosen expressed his horror at the incident, stating, “I’ve seen people behead animals. I’ve seen a lot of different things. I have not seen a lot of animals set on fire.”

After the fact, Garcia confronted one of the suspects, who denied any involvement, placing blame on the other juvenile. “She was just like, ‘It wasn’t me. It wasn’t me. It was the other guy,’ and this and that, and then she just went inside with the dog while the cat was still on fire,” Garcia recalled.

Rosen confirmed that his office has identified the suspects, believed to be between the ages of 10 and 15, though they have yet to be interviewed. Acting on a tip, deputies executed a search warrant at a residence linked to the suspects. They removed two dogs, seven puppies, and one cat, all found without proper shelter, water, or food. A custody hearing for these animals is scheduled for next week.

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