Police: 16-year-old arrested for allegedly lighting cat on fire

BREMERTON -- Detectives arrested a 16-year-old for allegedly lighting a cat on fire Sunday in Bremerton.

Police tweeted the news Wednesday, and later confirmed the arrest was related to the highly publicized cat killing.

Sunday,  a man was out for a walk near the intersection of 15th Street and High Avenue when he spotted something on fire that appeared to be moving near the Bremerton High School tennis courts. He walked over, and found an adult yellow cat on fire, police said.

The man immediately called 911.

When officers arrived on scene, the cat was no longer on fire but was “writhing in pain,” Chief Steven Strachan of the Bremerton Police Department said. Officers took the cat to the Kitsap Humane Society where veterinarians found it had extensive burns to the back, tail and head. The animal was humanely euthanized after vets determined its injuries were too severe to recover from.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.