Sleepy Eye man accused of drop-kicking cat, leading to leg amputation
A Sleepy Eye man is accused of drop-kicking and seriously injuring his girlfriend’s cat, then threatening to kill the animal in front of her.
Jordan Osmonson, 30, was charged Thursday in Brown County District Court with felony counts of animal torture, animal cruelty, and 1st-degree damage to property. Osmonson also faces a gross misdemeanor count of animal torture.
A criminal complaint says Osmonson spent Dec 30 alone at his girlfriend’s New Ulm house while she was at work. The girlfriend arrived home and was unable to find her 7-month-old cat, Pearl, according to the complaint.
When the cat came from hiding, she was clearly in pain, according to the complaint. Osmondson allegedly told his girlfriend he thought it would be funny to hiss in the cat’s face, but she got angry and scratched him.
He responded by “football punting” the cat across the room into a wall, according to the complaint. “When the cat scratched him, he picked it up with two hands, and kicked it across the room, causing it to hit a wall,” reads the charging document.
Pearl’s leg was broken and the veterinarian advised amputation as the “best option” for the injury, according to the complaint. The surgery cost the victim $1,425.59.
The victim ended her romantic relationship with Osmonson after the incident but told police they still communicated. The complaint says she showed investigators a text from Osmonson that said: “f**k that stupid cat I’ll kill it right in front of you.”
Osmonson did not answer phone calls from New Ulm police and his voicemail was full. He’s been summoned to appear in court.