Man charged with animal cruelty in cat’s death

A Wichita man is facing a criminal charge for allegedly tossing a kitten to its death.

Raymond W. Meerian, 56, made his first appearance in Sedgwick County District Court on Tuesday on one count of cruelty to animals. A criminal complaint filed in the case alleges Meerian “unlawfully, knowingly and maliciously” killed or harmed the male cat – named Spiky – on March 10.

The charge stems from a woman’s complaint to Wichita police that an individual came into her fenced-in yard in the 3100 block of North Woodlawn, picked up her cat and threw the feline into a neighboring yard with two dogs, “killing it,” a police document says.

The woman’s neighbor “did try and help get his dogs to release the cat,” according to the document.

Meerian is being held in Sedgwick County Jail on $25,000 bond while awaiting his April 29 preliminary hearing. He was booked into jail Monday morning, according to an online roster of inmates.

This story was originally published April 16, 2014 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Man charged with animal cruelty in cat’s death."