A Georgia woman was arrested after she allegedly threw three kittens out the window of her moving vehicle.
Valentina Tobon Henao was charged with facing animal cruelty after a witness reported to authorities that they saw her throw the kittens out of a minivan window on Wednesday, August 5, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
Local police said that Tobon Henao, 25, allegedly threw the kittens from the vehicle while she was driving in the city of Brookhaven, according to Atlanta News First.
Following the incident, one kitten was found dead in the roadway and a second was found with a dislocated tail and scratches to its ears. The surviving kitten was transported to a medical center and was treated by veterinarians.
Police and residents are now on the search for the third kitten, who is reportedly only 8 weeks old.
The incident has left several people in shock, and witness Maria Stewart told Atlanta News First that once she “realized what was happening in front of my very eyes,” she “couldn’t believe it.” Stewart then added that she “was sickened” by the situation.
“You just don’t throw them out of a car – and that’s what got me so riled up. I was so upset,” Stewart added. “I just saw red, and I just kept following her until we got stopped at a light at Dresden, and I took pictures of her car. I honked at her. I was screaming at her.”
Stewart said that she called 911 and told police the license plate number of the vehicle, as well as shared a description of the driver.
Tobon Henao was eventually located at a nearby business and was taken into custody, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. She was charged with cruelty to animals and was released on bond on the morning of Friday, August 7.
It is not currently clear if Tobon Henao has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest.
Stewart also spoke to FOX 5 Atlanta about the incident, which she said was “diabolical” and “nonsensical.”
“I just think this person’s a monster to have done that,” she said. “They were tiny little kittens being thrown out of a car.”
Teri Eden, Stewart’s friend, has taken the surviving kitten in amid the search for the third kitten.
“He was sedated yesterday, so I think that helped him get through the night,” Eden told FOX 5 Atlanta of the kitten. “I mean, he’s only eight weeks old and it’s a crazy world out there with coyotes and birds of prey.”
Meanwhile, Brookhaven Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit Lt. Anthony Petron insisted that authorities are working hard to locate the third kitten.
“This is something that is very sad and should not have happened,” Petron told Atlanta News First. “They should not do something that’s inhumane of discarding an animal and do the proper thing of basically contacting animal control, a veterinary office, or even any other resource out there available that’s wanting to take in an animal.”
If you know of or suspect animal abuse or neglect, you are urged to contact the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals through their website or call your local animal control officer.
