Sheriff: Woman threw cat locked inside crate into river after fight with ex

By Chelsea Robinson

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    OAK HILL, Fla (WESH) — A Volusia County woman has been arrested after officials say she threw a cat into a river.

According to a release from the Volusia County Sheriff, Christa Anne Thistle, 53, has been charged with animal cruelty and simple assault.

Deputies were called to the Riverwood Park Campground in Oak Hill shortly before 7 p.m. Thursday.

Investigators learned that Thistle and her boyfriend recently broke up and they got into a fight over him not leaving fast enough. That’s when, deputies said, Thistle picked up the ex-boyfriend’s cat, Stanley, who was inside of his crate, and threw him into the river.

Thistle’s ex-boyfriend jumped into the water to rescue the cat, deputies said, but the animal was still submerged for 20 seconds.

“Stanley was still wet and shivering when deputies arrived, and the boyfriend was wet from the waist down, consistent with jumping in the river to save him,” a report said.

Deputies said Thistle demanded to be taken to jail so she could “make a phone call, bond out and kill her ex-boyfriend.”

She was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail where she remained in custody Friday morning.

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