Death of cat at O.C. jail is being probed
Concern about the conduct of deputies inside Orange County jails intensified Tuesday as the Sheriff’s Department investigated reports that deputies used a Taser stun weapon on a cat at Theo Lacy Jail.
A cat’s corpse was found on jail grounds.
The department was awaiting results of a necropsy to determine whether the cat found dead at Theo Lacy had been stunned with a Taser, sheriff’s spokesman John McDonald said. He declined to say how the department learned of the alleged abuse but said it was the subject of an internal investigation.
“This isn’t being taken lightly. This is a pretty serious matter,” McDonald said.
Animal abuse that causes death can result in felony criminal charges.
A week ago, grand jury transcripts showed that Theo Lacy deputies allowed inmates to use violence to enforce jail rules while they napped, watched television and played video games.
The district attorney is also investigating the April 1 death of inmate Jason Jesus Gomez, 35, who lost consciousness after deputies shocked him with a stun weapon during an altercation in his cell at the Intake Release Center in Santa Ana. Acting Sheriff Jack Anderson placed several employees on paid administrative leave after Gomez’s death.
Also Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted to spend $370,000 to install closed-circuit cameras in guard stations and inmate barracks at Theo Lacy.
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