A 56-year-old Salem man has been arrested by Salem Police for aggravated cruelty to animals for allegedly drowning a kitten in the Salem Reservoir.
Jeffrey Steevens of North Trenary apparently was upset with the kitten for defecating in the home, placed it in a pet carrier, and then threw both the kitten and pet carrier into the Reservoir.
Police say a witness saw Steevens throw the carrier into the water. He reportedly told her the carrier was just trash. However, the woman wasn’t convinced since it was a pet carrier and went into the water after it. Unfortunately, by the time she was able to get the kitten out of the water, it had died.
Steevens was no longer in the area, but police were called to Steevens residence later n the day to a report of a disturbance. Police say Steevens had been punched twice in the face by the owner of the kitten. Steevens was gone when police arrived, but was located later at a home on North Dawley Street where he was taken into custody without incident.
Steevens also filed a battery complaint against the owner of the kitten which has been turned over to the State’s Attorney’s office for a decision on if any charges would be filed.
