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Article Archive > Additional animal cruelty charge against Keansburg man Additional animal cruelty charge against Keansburg man KEANSBURG - Authorities have added another animal cruelty charge against a borough man who was suspended from his job at an area pet store after he was charged Sunday with three counts of animal cruelty, according to the chief of police for the Monmouth County SPCA. The additional charge stems from an altercation Lizandro Fernandez, 40, of Creek Road, had with a 10-week-old kitten that landed the animal in an animal hospital with internal bleeding and trauma, according to Victor "Buddy" Amato, chief law enforcement officer for the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Fernandez, and his girlfriend, adopted the kitten during a pet adoption event at the PetSmart store on Route 35 in Holmdel where he is employed, but currently suspended, Amato explained. On May 5, around 5:30 a.m., Fernandez allegedly left a voice message at the store for the adoption coordinator saying "I hurt the kitten, and the kitten hurt me," Amato said. The adoption coordinator called Fernandez and was able to convince him to bring the kitten into the Banfield Animal Hospital at the store for evaluation, but the injuries were so severe the kitten was tranferred to Lexington Animal Hospital in Clark, where the animal remains today, Amato explained. Fernandez's girlfriend has not been implicated any of the animal abuse currently charged against him. Fernandez was charged Sunday with three counts of animal cruelty after punching a cat, killing a rabbit and getting into a fight with a second cat that clawed him so bad he needed 20 stitches to close the lacerations on his face, Amato said. Fernandez is accused of "drop-punching" his girlfriend's cat "King" during an altercation with the feline around 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, causing severe trauma to the animal. "PetSmart is committed to the well being of pets and is undertaking an investigation of these allegations. In the interim, the associate has been suspended," Mike Mullin, director of public affairs at PetSmart said following Fernandez's arrest on Sunday. Fernandez's girlfriend returned home on Sunday to discover her cat staggering and disoriented. She immediately took the cat to Red Bank Animal Hospital where it was later determined the cat needed to be euthanized because of the extent of his injuries, Amato added. Keansburg police and the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were notified of the incident and an investigation determined Fernandez was involved in an altercation with a second cat, "Cinnamon" that scratched his face so severely he needed 20 stiches to close the cuts on his face, Amato said. It was also determined Fernandez was responsible for the death of the family rabbit, Amato said. Fernandez is now charged with four counts of animal cruelty and is expected in Keansburg municipal court at 8:30 a.m. on June 2, Amato said. |