Deputies: Woman throws cat in crate into river after arguing with ex-boyfriend

OAK HILL, Fla. — An Oak Hill woman tossed a crate containing a cat into the Intracoastal Waterway on Thursday evening after she and her ex-boyfriend got into an argument about him not moving out of their recreational vehicle fast enough, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies said they were called to the Riverwood Park Campground on H.H. Burch Road near South Ridgewood Avenue shortly before 7 p.m. after Christa Anne Thistle, 53, began moving her former long-term boyfriend’s belongings out of their home.

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They said that while doing so, she knocked over some food that was being cooked, picked up the pet crate and threw the animal into the river.

Investigators said the ex-boyfriend jumped into the water to rescue the cat, whom he estimated was submerged for about 20 seconds.

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Deputies said the cat, named Stanley, was still wet and shivering when they arrived but was otherwise uninjured.

Thistle denied the allegations but was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail on charges of animal cruelty.

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Investigators said she was also charged with assault after she demanded to be taken to jail so she could make a phone call, bond out and kill her ex-boyfriend.

Volusia County Animal Control Services is providing Stanley a follow-up evaluation and care.

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