PHOENIX - Police arrested a man for allegedly killing a cat with a sledgehammer after a neighbor saw the man striking the animal in his driveway.
Officers arrested James Henry Fox, 54, for one count of intentional cruel mistreatment of an animal on Wednesday.
According to court documents, a neighbor called police around 6 p.m. to report he had seen the suspect striking a black and white cat. When the neighbor yelled at Fox, according to the report, the suspect grabbed the cat and went back inside.
Officers found what appeared to blood in the driveway, a sledgehammer with blood and fur on it, and a black garbage bag that contained a dead cat.
The suspect, who the neighbor had seen driving away, returned to his home while police officers were still there, the report said.
According to the Form IV, Fox told the officers that he had tried to find someone to adopt the cats, but no adoption place would take them. Because of that, the paperwork said, the suspect told police he felt he had no choice other than getting rid of the cat.
