Woman Charged With Cruelty To 2 Felines In Southington: SPD

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A New Britain woman has been charged with abandoning two cats — including a kitten — in a local parking lot and then running the kitten over with her vehicle.

According to the Southington Police Department, Ana Rodriguez, 65, of 101 Governor St., New Britain, was charged Friday with two counts of cruelty to animals.

She was released on a $2,500 bond after turning herself into the SPD. Rodriguez will appear in New Britain Superior Court on May 20.

In a disturbing account of what happened, Southington police said the incident happened on April 15 at the Southington Walmart parking lot, 235 Queen St.

According to a report released by police Friday afternoon, Southington officers were called to Walmart to tend to an animal complaint.

At the time, it was reported a black Nissan Rogue dropped off a cat and an injured kitten in the parking lot.

Southington Animal Control located both felines and discovered the kitten was deceased, with a witness telling the animal control officer a vehicle ran over the kitten.

Citing witness testimony, police said the suspect opened the rear of her SUV, removed two cats, and placed both of the cats into the parking lot.

That witness, police said, saw the woman — later identified as Rodriguez — pull out of the parking space, striking one of the cats, before leaving.

Police said the adult female cat had a compound fracture to its right hind leg, with "bone protruding through the skin." The injury required amputation of the leg, police said.

Meanwhile, an autopsy concluded the kitten was killed by being run over by the vehicle, police said.

According to police, a video surveillance review captured the details of the incident.

Police said the video showed Rodriguez reaching down and appearing to pick up the kitten a short distance away from the vehicle and throwing it after the kitten followed the woman back to her SUV.

Video, according to police, then showed the suspect making "several slow attempts" to drive away, stopping to check on the kitten's location, before moving forward again and running the kitten over.

Police were able to track the vehicle to New Britain and Rodriguez's home address, with the SPD citing "the persistence of police."

The SPD said Rodriguez, at first, denied dumping the cats, but later admitted to leaving the felines in the parking lot with no food, water, or shelter.

Police said she denied running over the kitten.

According to police, veterinarians couldn't determine how the larger cat was injured, but they did conclude it was a "recent traumatic injury, possibly due to being run over by a car."

Police said Rodriguez "intentionally released both cats in a busy retail parking lot during business hours with no food, water, shelter, or regard for their health and safety."

This, the SPD stated, resulted in the death of a kitten and the serious injury to the cat.

An arrest warrant was sought and obtained and Rodriguez turned herself in to authorities Thursday.