The Kane County state’s attorney’s office has charged a 31-year-old Elburn man and his friend with misdemeanor crimes in connection with their roles in the slaying of a stray cat last summer.
Robert L. Treankler, of 42 W 898 Main St., was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly shooting the cat down from a tree using a shotgun.
Benjamin Hayne, 36, of 102 N. Union, Elgin, was charged with cruelty to animals for allegedly swinging the injured cat by its tail into a pole and on the ground until it died.
Dave Clark, a spokesman for the state’s attorney’s office, said the charges stem from a incident investigated in July at Treankler’s residence by the Kane County Sheriff’s Police.
At the time, Treankler told deputies the cat was a stray that kept his family awake at night and bit him when he tried to capture it. The sheriff’s office said a 7-year-old boy witnessed the alleged incident.
Because the animal was not someone’s pet, Hayne’s charge is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine and up to 30 days in jail.
Animal activists worked last year with lawmakers to increase the charge of cruelty to domestic pets to a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail.