District Man Pleads Guilty to Cruelty to Animals for Attack on Cat That Caused Traumatic Brain Injury

            WASHINGTON – Malik Thomas, 30, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to a charge of cruelty to animals for retaliating against his romantic partner by beating her pet cat to the point of inflicting traumatic brain injury and a broken pelvis, among other injuries.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Chris Schindler, Vice President of Field Operations, Humane Rescue Alliance.

            Thomas pleaded guilty on Sept. 7, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Frederick H. Weisberg sentenced him to 150 days in jail.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 18, 2021, officers responded to an apartment in the 1200 block of North Capitol Street NW, based on reports of a domestic violence incident in progress. When officers arrived, they found Thomas hiding in a closet. He told police that he “killed” the cat to retaliate against his partner for locking him out of the apartment that his partner owned. Thomas admitted he picked the cat up by his neck and slammed him on a cement tile floor, before pouring old grease on the cat and throwing him in a trashcan.

            Police found the cat alive, but severely injured and unable to walk or stand. A veterinarian who examined the cat explained that he suffered fractures to his pelvis. The cat also suffered bleeding from the nose, hemorrhaging of the eye, effusion in the abdomen, and traumatic brain injury. The doctor explained that injuries of this severity are only typically found in animals who have been struck by a motor vehicle or have fallen from a great height. The cat later died.

            Thomas was arrested on the day of the incident.

            The Humane Rescue Alliance submitted a victim impact statement highlighting the studied link between animal abuse and domestic violence. In homes where there is domestic abuse, it’s not just the people who are at risk; animals are often targeted as well. Domestic violence victims concerned about the safety of their animals can have their service provider call the Humane Rescue Alliance 24/7 for help at 202-723-5730.

            In announcing the plea and sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Chief Contee, and Vice President Schindler commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Humane Rescue Alliance.

            They acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Sabrina Hudgens and the Litigation Technology Unit. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmanuel Hampton, who prosecuted the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Dinan and Monisha Rao, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Goldstein, who investigated the case.