A man captured on surveillance cameras tossing an injured cat into a dumpster earlier this week in Orange County has been taken into custody, officials announced.
Mission Viejo Animal Services posted surveillance footage of the man to its social media page; in the post’s caption, it states that the incident occurred on Monday around 7:20 p.m. near the 25000 block of Cabot Road in Laguna Hills.
The vet’s office received a report that the injured cat was found inside a dumpster behind a shopping center near Cabot and La Paz Road the next day.
In the video, a man is seen driving an SUV behind businesses and parking near the dumpster before exiting the vehicle, retrieving a bag and dumping its contents—the cat—into the dumpster.
A man is seen driving an SUV behind the businesses and parking near the dumpster before exiting the vehicle, retrieving a bag and dumping the contents of it — the cat — into the dumpster. (Credit: Mission Viejo Animal Services) 
A man is seen driving an SUV behind the businesses and parking near the dumpster before exiting the vehicle, retrieving a bag and dumping the contents of it — the cat — into the dumpster. (Credit: Mission Viejo Animal Services) 
A man is seen driving an SUV behind the businesses and parking near the dumpster before exiting the vehicle, retrieving a bag and dumping the contents of it — the cat — into the dumpster. (Credit: Mission Viejo Animal Services) 
A man is seen driving an SUV behind the businesses and parking near the dumpster before exiting the vehicle, retrieving a bag and dumping the contents of it — the cat — into the dumpster. (Credit: Mission Viejo Animal Services)
The confused and injured cat, whom the staff named “Willow,” limped around the top of discarded items as the man drove away.
“The cat was discovered 15 hours [after it was dumped] and just minutes before the dumpster was scheduled for collection,” Animal Services stated. “The cat, suffering from obvious trauma, was immediately transported to a local animal hospital for evaluation and treatment.”
Officials at Mission Viejo Animal Services said the cat’s owner came forward and identified the suspect as her roommate.
“We conducted an investigation and have probable cause that the suspect was in violation of animal cruelty,” MVAS Supervisor Kyle Werner said.
Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department located the suspect and took him into custody.
Willow was said to be recovering and is showing “immense affection” to the vets caring for her, and the Dedicated Animal Welfare Group was ensuring she received the necessary medical care.
Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Mission Viejo Animal Services by calling 949-470-3045. To support Willow’s recovery, visit www.dawg.org
