Trigger Warning: This article contains references to animal abuse that some readers may find distressing.

A 48-year-old Florida dad has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty. He killed two kittens in front of his teenage daughter and was physically abusing the third one. The 14-year-old girl called 911 on her dad, prompting police to come to their Pine Manor home.

Identified as David Charette Jr., he was also captured on bodycam saying, “The cat is in perfectly healthy condition. I have to give the cat a bath because it soils itself in the cage.” he claimed he did nothing wrong.

Meanwhile, he abused the cats in front of the teenager as a means of punishment and to teach her a lesson whenever they made a mess. One of the detectives in the case said the daughter explained that his abusive behavior had been going on for a long time.

He had already killed two kittens, which were buried in the backyard. One more cat died in June after the father struck her repeatedly. He left her on a bleach-soaked rag to die. Another kitten died due to severe burns from a hair dryer.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno noted, “The daughter says that when she acts up or when she’s in trouble, her father kills her kittens. This is sickening to me.” At first, the family did not report the crime out of fear. They thought the father would turn even more abusive.

But the 14-year-old called 911 when Charette Jr. was holding the two-month-old kitten, Luna, underwater. If she hadn’t called, the kitten would have died. Luna was taken to the vet and is recovering. Three adult cats were also taken to the hospital and sent back home after evaluation.

 

The teenager revealed her father used to hit Luna with a nail polish bottle and even put her in a clothes dryer. A neighbor expressed concern and said, “It’s ridiculous. It’s horrible. It’s sad.” Another one added, “It’s heartbreaking, and it just makes me very upset.” This goes beyond animal abuse, as the father was mentally abusing his daughter by hurting the cats. He is currently in jail.

Netizens reacted to the horrific crime on social media. One Instagram user commented, “I’m so sick of animal and child abusers.” One user praised the teenager, “14 yr old is courageous. And thank you, Police, for listening to a young person.” Another one added, “Big hugs to this strong young woman. It’s not easy to speak up, especially when it’s your own parent.” “What about charges for child abuse?” asked one more.

Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record.