Quinten Castro. PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Quinten Castro was sentenced Thursday to a year in jail for killing his girlfriend’s cat, Muffin, because it wasn’t letting him sleep.
Castro, 24, previously pleaded no contest to mistreatment of animals causing death.
He was also placed on probation for three years, and fined $250 by Judge Yadira Rein. If he successfully completes the terms of probation, the conviction could be expunged from his record.
Before the sentence was imposed, Castro apologized, and said his mental health situation is much better now.
“I wake up, I feel shame, I feel guilt. I’m not happy about what I did. At the time, I had undiagnosed mental health issues. Unfortunately, it took this horrible event to get those treated. But I am on the proper medications now, I am with the proper counseling,” he said.
A Seymour woman came home on Nov. 21, 2022, to find the cat lifeless. She performed CPR but was unable to revive Muffin, and called police.
At first, Castro told police the cat was on his shoulder, he turned quickly, and the cat landed on the floor. After being confronted with the results of necropsy, however, Castro changed his story to say he was playing with the cat but squeezed it too tightly. But then Castro changed his story again.
“Quinten stated that he was trying to sleep for his shift when the kitten was making a lot of noise in the kennel inside the closet. Quinten stated that he became angry and ‘blacked out’ while using his hands to make an aggressive squeezing motion. Quinten stated that when he came out of the ‘blackout’, he was holding the kitten in the condition Officer Shallow described. Quinten stated that he squeezed and shook the kitten which likely caused the blood spatter on the door. Quinten stated that there was blood coming from the nose after he committed the act. Quinten stated that the image of what he had done to the kitten was something that he would not be able to get out of his head for the rest of his life,” the complaint states. “Quinten stated that he felt badly about what he did.”
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