Man arrested for dragging cat behind scooter

A 47-year-old Big Pine Key man was arrested Monday after deputies made quick police work of a disturbing video posted on Facebook that showed a man dragging a cat on a leash behind a moving scooter.

Neptune Lester Hugo Steele was charged with animal cruelty. The cat remained alive as of Monday afternoon at a Marathon animal hospital, but its paws were severely injured.

“I was disgusted by this case and made it my top priority this morning,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “I want to thank our alert residents and the Deputies who worked together to make an arrest in this case just hours after this incident was posted on social media. Such behavior will never be tolerated by the residents of the Florida Keys nor by me.”

The case began Monday morning when a resident on the 31000 block of Avenue F on Big Pine Key posted a Ring® video on the closed group Facebook page titled, “What’s Up Florida Keys? LOCALS ONLY,” that showed a man wearing a large brimmed hat and white shirt driving a scooter. The scooter had a cat in the rear basket and another cat being dragged by a leash behind the scooter. The resident who posted the video wanted other residents to see the video as the suspect, later identified as Steele, was seen looking under their house and then left when the motion lights came on.

The video was soon shared by many others.

Deputies Timothy Tedesco and Jon Riggs responded to the 31000 block of Avenue C regarding the matter after receiving a call about the animal abuse. Upon arrival, they spoke to a woman who said she took her neighbor, identified as Steele, one of his cats to the animal hospital in Marathon about 3 a.m. She reported Steele was extremely intoxicated and the cat was bleeding from all of its paws. She stated she did not question Steele’s statement at that the cat was struck by a car at the time as her only concern was for the cat. She stated she dropped Steele off and picked him up about 5:30 a.m. The cat remained at the animal hospital.

The woman then stated she then went on Facebook later that morning and saw the video of the cat being dragged by the scooter. There was a substantial blood trial along the Avenues and Father Tony Way. While Deputies were speaking to the woman, she received a phone call from another woman. That caller also identified the suspect as Steele.

Deputies went to Steeles’ residence on Father Tony Way. They went to knock on the door and observed a scooter matching the description of the one seen in the Facebook video. There was blood on the scooter seat. There was blood on the ground near the scooter.

A female who answered the door said Steele was in his room. Steele was woken. Steele was evasive with his answers. Steele denied dragging the cat by the leash. He claimed the cat was struck by a car. Deputies noted there was no blood where the cat supposedly was struck by a  car — rather the blood was near or on Steeles’ scooter.

Steele was taken to jail.

The Florida Keys Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was contacted. They stated they would follow up at the animal hospital in Marathon as well as respond to Steele’s residence in order to remove other cat in Steele’s possession.

 

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