SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A 19-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of blowing up a cat with an explosive in south Sacramento, police said.

 

 

David Hui-Baio Yang and a group of boys are accused of putting the cat under a traffic cone Tuesday night along 63rd Street and blowing it up with a large firecracker, possibly an M-80.

 

The group was accused of wrapping the animal in duct tape before the explosion, a police report said.

 

Once the cat was under the traffic cone, someone dropped the lit explosive through a hole at the top of the cone, according to the police report. The cat died from the blast.

 

Michael Nguyen said he witnessed the attack.

 

"I ran to see -- the cat was blown to pieces right here," he said. "And I get so angry, so focused on the cat, they ran and I called police."

 

Police found Yang on Wednesday evening in the 6200 block of Lemon Hill Drive after receiving a tip about his possible involvement, authorities said.

 

 

Yang remained in jail Thursday on a charge of malicious maiming of an animal. Bail was set at $40,000. He is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

 

Police said they haven't determined a motive for the crime.

 

SPCA Calls Animal Abuse 'Absolutely A Red Flag'

 

Lesley Kirrene, with the Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said violence toward animals can be a warning shot that people might also be in danger.

 

"We worry once someone's committed a crime against an animal, it can escalate and lead to crimes against humans -- violent crimes," Kirrene said.

 

The link between animal cruelty and human violence has been well-researched and documented. Serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy hurt animals before they went on their human killing sprees.

 

The Humane Society said the Columbine school killers also had histories of animal cruelty.

 

"It's picking that defenseless victim and starting there and experimenting. That's the scary scary part, is you see that experiment escalate and move to, often times, felony crimes, and violent felony crimes at that," Kirrene said.

 

Animal welfare groups said it's a connection that can't be ignored, and that the key to preventing animal abuse is education.