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Written by
Charles Webster | Staff Writer

KEANSBURG — A borough man who works at an area pet store was charged Sunday with three counts of animal cruelty after punching a cat, killing a rabbit and getting into a fight with a second cat that clawed him so bad he needed 20 stiches to close the lacerations on his face, said the chief of police of the Monmouth County SPCA.

Lizandro Fernandez, 40, of Creek Road, is accused of “drop-punching” his girlfriend’s cat “King” during an altercation with the feline around 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, causing severe trauma to the animal, according to Victor “Buddy” Amato, chief law enforcement officer for the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Fernandez is an employee at the PetSmart store on Route 35 in Holmdel , a store manager confirmed.

Fernandez’s girlfriend returned home on Sunday to discover her cat staggering and disoriented. She immediately took the cat to Red Bank Animal Hospital where it was later determined the cat needed to be euthanized because of the extent of his injuries, Amato added.

Keansburg police and the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were notified of the incident and an investigation determined Fernandez was involved in an altercation with a second cat, “Cinnamon” that scratched his face so severely he needed 20 stiches to close the cuts on his face, Amato said.

It was also determined Fernandez was responsible for the death of the family rabbit, Amato said.

Fernandez is charged with three counts of animal cruelty and is expected in Keansburg municipal court at 8:30 a.m. on June 2, Amato said.

Charles Webster: cwebster@
njpressmedia.com; 732-643-4255