Charge Against Alleged Cat Cooker Tossed

The man who was charged with torturing a kitten by allegedly shoving the cat into a hot barbecue grill is off the hook. 24-year-old Charles Benoit had been charged in Clay County Circuit Court with animal abuse. The kitten was saved, but was later put to sleep. Clay County’s prosecutor says the charge was dropped after a witness said she was unable to recall key aspects of the case … and had no memory of any occurrence with a cat at her apartment complex that night. While he’s been cleared of the animal abuse charge, Benoit remains jailed because of outstanding warrants issued against him in other jurisdictions.