Three city school children who fatally maimed a feline behind School Four have been charged with delinquency, announced the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Wednesday afternoon.
The youths, 6-year-old, 10-year-old, and 12-year-old, were spotted “attacking a neighborhood cat, nicknamed Quattro, with rocks and a brick” at around 4 p.m. on May 7th, 2014, according to the prosecutor’s office.
“Two teenagers, saw the incident, stopped it, and ultimately brought the severely injured cat to their home to care for it,” said the prosecutor’s office. “The teens tried to provide Quattro with care, food and water.”
The cat was taken to a veterinarian for medical care where it had to be euthanized a week later, according to authorities.
Authorities have said if the youths were adults they would have been charged with animal cruelty and inflicting unnecessary cruelty. The “three Paterson juveniles have been charged with delinquency, for committing an act, which if committed by an adult, would constitute Animal Cruelty,” according to the prosecutor’s office.
The complaint has been forwarded to the Passaic County Court’s Family Division which will notify the families of the three to appear in family court.