Md. Man Sentenced For Killing Caged Kitten

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (AP) -- A Maryland man convicted of killing a caged kitten will spend a week in jail and perform community service for an animal welfare group.

The Journal reports Justin Beall, 24, of Pasadena, Md., was sentenced Thursday by Berkeley County Circuit Court Judge John Yoder. Beall pleaded guilty a day earlier to misdemeanor animal cruelty.

Yoder suspended all but one week of a six-month jail sentence and fined Beall $500.

Beall also must perform 250 hours of community service for the Berkeley County Humane Society or an equivalent group in Maryland, if the probation department approves.

Proseutors said Beall shot the kitten multiple times with a pellet gun in May 2011 after it was trapped in a cage in the
Hedgesville area. Beall's attorney said the kitten was feral.

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