WILTON MANORS, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman is behind bars after police say she was seen on video dumping kittens on the ground outside a park in Wilton Manors.
Wilton Manors Police announced the arrest of Katherine Luciano on Thursday afternoon following an investigation into the viral video that was recorded on Sunday.
The disturbing video made the rounds on social media as police worked to track Luciano down.
Video shows who police say is Luciano getting out of her car at the entrance to Donn Eisele Park, located off Northwest 29th Street, then going to the back of her car, grabbing a big box, and making her way past the gates. She cuts opens the box, then flipping it over and dumping five kittens onto the ground.
Luciano is now facing animal cruelty and animal abandonment charges, according to police.
The arrest is welcomed news for Peter Carey, the man who is seen on video walking his dog behind Luciano and later finds the kittens and stepped in to save them.
“I hope she’s prosecuted to the full extent of the law and I hope that she really pays for what she did,” he said. “I was shocked. I was really in shock, to be honest.”
As police pieced together clues that led them to the suspect, Carey cared for four of the five kittens and began looking for homes for the furry friends.
“I was really focused on the cats but it kept my anger from being focused on her because I really wish I could just put her in a box and dump her in a field so she could see how it felt. That’s how I feel,” he said.
The fifth kitten was found late Monday night by Castaway Animal Rescue.
Now, all five kittens are safe and have been adopted. Carey tells 7News he dropped off the last kitten off on Wednesday night to its new home and that the kittens’ new owners are proving him update on how well they are being cared for.
“I never expected it to turn out like this. I’m super glad that the community really got behind this story and we really brought this woman to justice and more importantly, we were able to find homes for the cats,” he said.
After announcing her arrest, police said they wanted to continue educating the public and providing resources for stray animals.
As for Luciano, she could appear before a judge as early as Friday.
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