An 18-year-old from Illinois now stands accused of killing a cat with his bare hands after his sister refused to hand his bong back.
Axel Salemi, aged 18, allegedly strangled the cat after his sister refused to give his bong back, a court has heard.
The cat, which was only seven weeks old, was crushed to death inside the family’s home in Crystal Lake, a suburb of Chicago.
Assistant State’s Attorney Kate Lenhard said Salemi squeezed the cat to death after his sister refused to return his water pipe, The Chicago Tribune reported.
Salemi then argued with his father, who would not allow him to sell the sister’s TV, Lenhard told the judge.
Salemi – whose mother runs an animal shelter out of their house – was been charged with felony aggravated animal cruelty and criminal damage to a domesticated animal.
Lenhard said Salemi ‘purposely crushed (the cat) to death in his hands’ and admitted what he had done to police.
He also remarked that the killing ‘was more difficult than he thought it would be’, according to Lenhard.
Lenhard also said Salemi called his mother, told her he had killed the kitten and ‘threatened to kill another one if his sister didn’t give back his bong’.
Salemi was charged in March with domestic battery and consumption of alcohol by a minor.
Judge Feetterer said he was concerned that Salemi had violent tendencies and was ‘starting to string together criminal offenses at a very young age’.
Read More: Crystal Lake man, 18, killed kitten over fight about bong: prosecutor
