Couple who tossed pet kitten like frisbee on Miami beach and sought $1,000 to stop the CRUEL act arrested
MIAMI, FLORIDA: A couple was caught on camera tormenting a kitten by tossing it into shoulder-deep water on Miami beach while its helpless feet were in the air like a pool toy. The defendants who are being charged, John Laguerre, 27, and Jamarria Wayne, 22, joked and sought $1,000 from the crowd when they were accosted by angry spectators. The cat was rescued and given a new home by Natalia Martin, one of the onlookers.
Both suspects were apprehended by police in Miami in September after they struggled with them and even came dangerously close to biting one of the policemen. One beachgoer recorded the entire argument, and the kitten, who was seen clinging to life after the incident, survived. Wayne was accused of two felonies, including attempted battery on a police officer and resisting arrest, while Laguerre was charged with two misdemeanors, including resisting arrest and animal cruelty. Both suspects have subsequently been released on bond over the incident that took place on Sunny Isles Beach.
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One of the feline's protectors stepped up and adopted the animal after the couple was arrested and didn't come back to get their pet. Since then, the woman has been able to find a new home for the kitten. She claims that during the pandemonium, her only concern was ensuring the animal's safety. “They were throwing her like this into the water,” Miami resident Martin recalled of the abuse, which spurred her to rise up from her towel and confront the kitten's attackers. “They were trying to make her swim and the cat was so scared, she was passing out already. She was half alive.”
Martin tried to approach the young pair, who were seen wading in the Florida waters while Laguerre held the limp kitten in one hand but the couple allegedly turned him away. “The guy started being so aggressive towards me,” Martin told Local10 of the ensuing standoff. “He starts stepping up,” she said of Laguerre's response to being reprimanded during the episode, which occurred on September 24. According to her, the offender said, “Hey, look, this is my cat. This is not your business. I can do what I want. If you don't want me to throw the cat, give me $1,000 right now,” as the 5-foot-9, 190-pound offender allegedly tried to extort her. The obviously mocking remark incensed Martin who immediately dialed beach security and then the police.
The couple continued their torture throughout which by that time had drawn the attention of numerous other beachgoers who were similarly horrified by the couple's treatment of the animal. “They were throwing her like this into the water,” Martin said. “They were trying to make her swim and the cat was so scared, she was passing out already. She was half alive.” One beachgoer's video appeared to support Marin's account of the incident, showing Laguerre repeatedly tossing the animal several feet in the air at different moments as he and his female friend took pleasure in the poor creature's suffering. To the shock of other beachgoers, the pair was seen in the heartbreaking video throwing the animal around like a frisbee. The kitten who looked to be no older than a few months old was subjected to numerous drops into the roaring surf and appeared to be rendered comatose by the shock. Throughout the abuse, the cat was deathly quiet.
Martin and others repeatedly objected to the couple throwing the animal but they persisted until police arrived, unmoved by their pet's obvious distress. “They were just trying to pick her up and throw her again,” Martin said to Local10. “There was a beach full of people. They were trying to look and see what was going on. Everyone was shocked.” The pair was eventually confronted by authorities for violating the "no animals on the beach" restrictions and they were asked to leave the area. At that point, according to a police report, Laguerre resisted being taken into custody and insulted the officers while disobeying their orders to leave the beach without causing any trouble. Police said the woman yelled at the officers and threatened to "bite them."
When the situation finally degenerated into a violent altercation, eight police officers were required to knock the defiant couple to the ground on the beach's dunes and handcuff them. Wayne was charged with one count each of battery and attempted battery on a peace officer, while Laguerre was charged with misdemeanor counts of resisting an officer without using physical force against him. Martin claimed that at this stage of the unrest, she was not concerned about what would happen to the cat's two attackers and was simply concerned about the welfare of the kitten. She eventually received the frightened animal from one of the officers which she wrapped in a towel and helped revive. “The police officer gave me this kitty,” Martin said. “I put her in the towel, wrote the police report - me and my friend, we did the police report.” She added to the kitten's sad state following the incident by informing that “The kitten was saved. She was all shaking - she was barely alive.”
Following that, the cat was brought to a nearby animal services facility where it resided for two days. Laguerre and Wayne, who had been released on parole after posting bail amounts of $2,000 and $12,500, had been unable to locate the animal at that moment which allowed Martin to adopt him. “I took this cat. I adopted her officially two days after this incident,” Martin said. The kitten did not suffer any apparent injuries.