Palo Alto man must pay $2,400 in restitution for shooting cat with BB gun

Aug. 16—PORT CARBON — A man charged after wounding a cat with a BB gun near his Palo Alto home in June pleaded guilty Tuesday in district court. The cat was later euthanized.

Rocco J. Scinto, 58, of 147 W. Savory St., appeared before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko on a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals filed by Port Carbon police Patrolman Nicholas Morgan.

On the recommendation of the victim, Isabelle Mettam, Scinto entered a guilty plea to a summary offense of cruelty to animals and was ordered to pay a fine and court costs in addition to restitution in the amount of $2,400.

Morgan charged Scinto with an incident that occurred between 8:15 and 8:35 p.m. June 22.

According to paperwork filed with the court, Morgan said Mettam, of 137 W. Savory St., called police and reported that the cat ran out of her house and into the yard of Scinto's home, and that her mother, Melissa Mettam, was going to retrieve the cat.

Scinto shot the cat with a BB gun, Morgan said.

Melissa Mettam later noticed the cat was acting differently and took it to a veterinarian.

Scinto initially told police he may have shot the cat with a BB gun and then admitted to the shooting, Morgan said.

He said numerous cats run through his yard and that he should not have to put up with it, Morgan said.

Scinto, who told police he had traps set in his yard, said that this incident was the first in which he shot a cat.

Morgan said he received the medical status on the cat from an animal hospital on June 26. It found extensive damage from the pellet's puncture wound, he said.

"Due to the cat needing aggressive support care, the owner decided to euthanize the cat," Morgan said.

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