FREEHOLD, NJ – Bani J. Mezquititla, a 19-year-old resident of Asbury Park, admitted to charges of animal cruelty in Monmouth County Superior Court on Wednesday, as announced by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.
Mezquititla pleaded guilty to two third-degree crimes: Animal Cruelty by Tormenting, Torturing, or Unnecessarily or Cruelly Abusing a Living Animal Resulting in its Death, and Animal Cruelty by Using or Causing or Procuring the Use of an Animal in a Sexual Manner.
According to court records, Mezquititla raped his pet cat on multiple occasions, using miniature handcuffs, cutting off her tongue, strangling her, and recording the entire incident.
The case against Mezquititla began in March 2023 after a dead cat was brought to the Asbury Park Police Department by a concerned citizen. Investigations by local police and the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Humane Law Enforcement Division revealed the cat had been subjected to sexual acts and torture by Mezquititla, which ultimately led to its death.