FREEHOLD, NJ — Bani J. Mezquititla, a 19-year-old from Asbury Park, has been sentenced to five years in state prison after being found guilty of torturing and killing his pet cat. The sentencing occurred on Thursday, as announced by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.
The court also ordered Mezquititla to pay for the necropsy of the cat and issued a permanent ban preventing him from owning, residing with, or having custody over any animals. The ruling was handed down by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Chad N. Cagan.
The investigation into Mezquititla began in March 2023 after a concerned citizen reported the deceased cat to the Asbury Park Police. Authorities, including the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Humane Law Enforcement Division, found that Mezquititla had sexually abused the cat and subjected it to further acts of torture leading to its death.
Following his arrest on the day the investigation started, Mezquititla has been held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution. In April, he pleaded guilty to third-degree crimes of animal cruelty by tormenting, torturing, or cruelly abusing a living animal, resulting in its death, and using an animal in a sexual manner.
Prosecutor Santiago described the case as reflecting “greater depths of depravity” and highlighted the sentence as one of the most substantial penalties for such an offense in New Jersey’s history. He expressed hopes that this outcome would satisfy the community and those nationwide who demanded justice for the animal, known as Ellie.