NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) – A New Bedford man was arrested after allegedly hitting a cat in the face with a baseball bat. The cat lost an eye due to the attack.
At about 2 p.m. Saturday, police responded to 56 Nye St. for the report of animal cruelty. A woman was babysitting her granddaughter there and told police that the cat accidentally scratched the child. The woman was on the phone with her ex-boyfriend at the time, and he heard the child crying. He then went to the home with a baseball bat and made sure the woman and child were in a bedroom with the door shut. The woman immediately left the bedroom when she heard loud banging. The man had allegedly hit the cat in the head with an aluminum baseball bat. The cat was taken by Animal Control to the vet and lost an eye due to the attack.
At about 7:15 p.m., police found the suspect, Manuel Erinna, 55, and arrested him on animal cruelty charges. He was arraigned Monday.