A Far Rockaway resident admitted to brutally killing a cat nearly two years ago by tossing it off of a third-floor balcony and stomping it to death, prosecutors announced Monday.
Just before he was set to go to trial, Giovanni Olivo, 31, pleaded guilty to aggravated animal cruelty and third-degree attempted intimidating a witness.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown also indicated that Olivo tried to intimidate a witness in an attempt to make the case go away.
Olivo is due to return to court on Sept. 12, where will be ordered to serve 10 months incarceration. Olivo will be required to register with the New York City Department of Health as an animal abuser and will also be banned from owning pets for five years. The animal abuser registration will prevent city shelters, rescue groups and/or pet stores from allowing Olivo to purchase or adopt a pet.
"In pleading guilty, the defendant admitted to stabbing a cat, throwing her from a balcony and then stomping her to death. This was a cruel and vile act of brutality. These kinds of acts of aggression toward animals cannot – and will not – be tolerated," said Brown.