New information in case of murdered kittens
Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- There's new information on the litter of six newborn kittens that died after being pelted with rocks.
Animal advocates tell Action News that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is taking over the case, and that investigators have questioned some teenagers about what happened.
Neither Clark County Animal Control, nor Metro detectives, can share details because the investigation is still ongoing. So far, no arrests have been made.
The death of the six kittens has appalled the community, including Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak.
"I've been on the phone with Metro and animal control regarding the prosecution of this," he says. "If Metro decides not to move ahead with this, I will push for our District Attorney to pursue prosecution based on the county's findings."
Action News was there last week as veterinarians at Haven Animal Hospital tried -- without luck -- to save two of the kittens.
Veterinarian Lisa Mauro says the first moments of life for the kittens were met with torture. The witness who called Dr. Mauro's office reported that teenagers threw rocks at the litter as the mother cat was giving birth.
Animal control confirms it happened at an apartment complex on Russell Road, near Fort Apache.
Animal advocacy groups are now offering monetary rewards for any information on who's responsible for the cruelty.
"It's brutal and it has to be stopped," says Stacia Newman with Nevada Political Action for Animals.
Every day, Newman goes to the apartment complex where the crime occurred to look for possible witnesses. She's also on a mission to find the mother of the kittens, who hasn't been seen since the incident.
Gina Greisen, with Nevada Voters for Animals, also hopes anyone with information comes forward. She's working to make sure animal cruelty laws are strengthened locally and statewide.
"If you hurt an animal, you need to be held accountable," she says. "If it's a willful and malicious act, you're going to be arrested, and charged with a felony."
This is the latest in a recent string of animal cruelty cases. Just a few months ago, two teenagers were convicted of drowning kittens. They received the maximum penalty for juveniles, which included jail time, fines, and years of probation.








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