Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SOUTH OGDEN — Police arrested a South Ogden man who they say was recorded on a doorbell camera abusing a cat.
Jarek Benjamin Lansford, 20, was arrested Wednesday and charged Thursday in 2nd District Court with torture of a companion animal, a third-degree felony; drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, and reckless driving, all class B misdemeanors; and driving on a suspended license, a class C misdemeanor.
On Wednesday, a Roy homeowner called police regarding an incident that was recorded on his doorbell camera on March 25.
“Lansford is shown with a very tight grip around a small cat’s neck and throat taking it out the front door. The cat is distressed and clawing the air. Lansford then smashes the cat into the ground and continues squeezing it while pressing his full body weight down on the cat,” the charges state.
Police later rewatched the recording and enhanced the video.
“Upon further review of the footage of the abuse, I used a brighter screen and was able to see the suspect actually pick the cat up after crushing it and swing it into a large adjacent tree. Then (he) ‘dropkicks’ the cat,” a police affidavit states.
When police went to the area to speak to Lansford, he was just arriving in a car.
“The subject makes eye contact with us and flees at a high rate of speed through a small neighborhood,” the affidavit states.
Lansford was pulled over about a mile later and arrested. He said he hurt the cat to “get it back,” according to the charges.
“He stated the cat kept climbing on the back of the couch which he did not like. He admitted to taking it outside by the neck and throat, smashing it into the ground and trying to hit and kick the cat. The subject then stated it was indeed a disgusting display on a defenseless animal,” the charges state.
In May, Lansford was convicted of assault in a domestic-violence related case, according to court records. A warrant was later issued for his arrest for failing to show up at a follow-up court date.
