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A 22-year-old man was arrested and charged with animal cruelty by torture after he was seen on surveillance video violently throwing and hitting a cat at an apartment pool.
The charge is a felony.
Authorities said Javonte Darion Alexander is seen in the video at the pool area of the City Station Apartment Homes complex in the 900 block of Cypress Station Drive on Sept. 7.
A caller alerted the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to the existence of the video on Sept. 25.
In the video, authorities said Alexander is seen picking up a cat and violently throwing it into the pool. The video also shows Alexander repeatedly strike the cat in the head with his shoe and hand as the cat tried to get out of the pool, investigators said.
Authorities said later in the video, Alexander is seen holding the cat underwater. At the end of the video, officials said Alexander is seen leaving the pool area with the cat, which appeared to be dead or unconscious.