After an investigation, detectives from the Suffolk County SPCA have charged a Lindehurst man with animal cruelty for throwing a cat into the Great South Bay after assaulting the cat's owner and threatening to harm him.
Roy Gross, Chief of the Suffolk SPCA said that its detectives charged Christopher Garufi, 48, of 75 E. Hoffman Avenue, Lindenhurst with animal cruelty, assault and aggravated harassment, all class A misdemeanors.
Garufi, after threatening to harm the cat's owner and assaulting the cat's owner, threw the cat into the bay outside of The Schooner Inn in Ocean Bay Park, while the cat was trapped inside of the owner's cat carrier backpack, causing the backpack and the cat to become completely submerged under water. The cat was immediately rescued by a bystander and was not harmed.
Garufi surrendered to SPCA detectives on August 20, 2022, and is scheduled to appear in First District Court, Central Islip, on September 9, 2022.
Animal cruelty will not be tolerated in Suffolk County. If you witness any incident of animal cruelty or neglect in Suffolk County please contact the Suffolk County SPCA at (631) 382-7722.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.