Man Accused Of 'Squeezing' Cat And Slamming It On Police Car Hood

Police in Laguna Beach, California say they had to use a stun gun to subdue a man accused of resisting arrest and slamming a cat into the hood of a police cruiser.

The bizarre arrest took place early Sunday after authorities responded to calls about a man in the middle of the street screaming, Laguna Beach Police Department said on Twitter.  There, they claim they found Joey Gabaldon, 52, "squeezing" a cat in his hand and yelling. 

A responding officer allegedly ordered Gabaldon to stop, but he did not respond and continued yelling unintelligibly, so the officer used his stun gun, Fox 11 reported.

However, the stun gun allegedly had "no effect." Instead, Gabaldon walked over to a second officer’s car and began beating the cat against its hood, officials claim.

A second Taser hit managed to subdue the man, and they were then able to rescue the cat, Fox11 reports. However, the cat was already dead by this time, Laguna Beach Police Department said on Twitter.

Police said it was unclear if the suspect killed the cat by slamming it into the car or if the animal had died prior to the event. Gabaldon was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation  before being taken to the Orange County Jail. He has been charged with animal cruelty, resisting an executive officer, and resisting arrest, according to jail records.

Joey Gabaldon Photo: Laguna Beach Police Department

He is scheduled to appear in court next week. It is unclear if he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

Police are still working to identify the cat's owner, according to local news outlet The Daily Pilot.