Warrant out for suspected kitten killer on cruelty charge

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Six months ago, a number of witnesses saw a man who was trying to give away free kittens in front of an  H-E-B store take one of the tiny animals and throw it to the ground in a fit of anger. The kitten soon died in the arms of a witness who tried to help.

On Wednesday, after an investigation, Austin Police Department issued an arrest warrant for the suspect, whom they identified as Sheldon Mark Watson, Jr., known to some of his friends as "Scott," according to the affidavit.

Watson will be charged with cruelty to nonlivestock animals, a state jail felony, once he is found.

On May 12, several witnesses told police they saw the suspect standing at the entrance of the H-E-B at 2110 W. Slaughter Lane, holding a sign, "Free Kittens for Mother's Day" and a plastic tub with two kittens in it. After a witness told the store manager about the man, the manager on duty asked Watson to leave the location since he did not have prior approval to solicit on private property.

Being asked to leave apparently triggered Watson's anger because he grabbed the plastic tub with the kittens in it and flung it across the parking lot, according to the affidavit. The two kittens slid out onto the pavement, and Watson attempted to kick them, witnesses told police. He allegedly picked up one kitten and threw it as hard as he could across the parking lot where it landed about 50 to 60 feet away, with obvious injuries, witnesses said.

Store surveillance video showed the incident and images of the kitten who flopped around uncontrollably, unable to get up, according to the affidavit. A witness rushed to pick up the kitten and it died in her arms.

Three other witnesses gave chase as Watson fled northbound on Manchaca Road, but stopped their pursuit when Watson allegedly picked up a nearby cinder block and threw it at them.

In September, a woman told police she saw a news report about the May kitten incident when Watson pulled up the news story on his smartphone, played it for her and bragged about it. She recognized him in the news video, according to the affidavit. She told police she had dated him for eight years and they have three children together.

The investigation showed that Watson initially had five kittens to give away, and that he had arrived at H-E-B with another man, who was inside the store during the entire incident and did not see it all happen. The man told police that the five kittens belonged to a woman they both worked for.

Police first interviewed their female employer on May 14, and she told police she didn't know anything about Watson. However, as police investigated and got more witness information, they again talked with the woman on Nov. 2 and showed her a photo of Watson. This time, she admitted she had given the five kittens to Watson and his co-worker for them to give away in May. She also admitted to police that she picked up Watson after the incident on May 12, at the Dollar General store where he had run to after being chased.

A Travis County judge has set a bond of $10,000 for Watson, who has not yet been arrested.