An 18-year-old man was arrested in Brevard County on animal cruelty charges after he allegedly blasted a cat with water inside a carrier and threw the animal from a third-floor balcony, breaking its leg.

On Thursday, October 30, the Kieran Gables McKinney was arrested and transported to Brevard County Jail on the following charges: three counts of aggravated animal cruelty and one count of animal confinement without food or water.

Kieran Gables McKinney
Kieran Gables McKinney

According to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the case against McKinney began on Friday, October 18, when the Palm Bay Police Department responded to a residence in reference to a domestic altercation involving McKinney.

While PBPD officers were at the residence, they allegedly discovered that McKinney had committed an act of animal cruelty. An ensuing investigation revealed that the alleged animal abuse had occurred in Brevard County, which is outside their jurisdiction.

BCSO stated that it launched an investigation into McKinney, which revealed that several instances of animal cruelty had allegedly occurred.

The sheriff’s office stated that in separate incidents, McKinney allegedly grabbed the cat and threw it onto a couch; threw the cat from a third-floor balcony, which broke its leg; and used a hose to fill the cat’s carrier with water while it was trapped inside.

McKinney allegedly told investigators that he had used the water hose to “torture” the cat after it had an “accident” in the home. He also claimed that he deprived the cat of food and water “because of (its) behavior,” according to BCSO.

McKinney is currently being held without bond at Brevard County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, November 26, according to jail records.