Teen Seen Throwing Cat Into Water In Patterson Arrested

PATTERSON (CBS13) - A Patterson teen seen on video throwing a cat into the water has been arrested, authorities say.

The suspect, who has yet to be identified by police, was arrested Friday and booked into jail on the charge of felony animal cruelty, according to a statement from Patterson Police Services.

The video was shot about a year ago, police say. It is unclear why the video recently resurfaced.

A spokesperson for the Patterson Unified School District says they learned about the video Friday morning. After reviewing the video, school officials contacted police.

The district confirms the suspect is a senior at Patterson High School. His name has not been released at this point.

Police credit tips from the public for leading them to the suspect. Since the video of the incident surfaced on Facebook, it has become a big topic of discussion in several Patterson-area groups.

They urge the public to report incidents of gang activity, which has been on the rise in the last few weeks, say police.