A St. Petersburg man was arrested after deputies say they discovered four 6-week-old kittens inside sandwich bags in the man’s freezer.
Rodney Jon Blanchard, 49, was arrested Sunday and faces four felony charges of cruelty to animals and one charge of simple battery, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. He remains in jail on $8,500 bond.
Deputies said Blanchard told a 38-year-old woman visiting his home Sunday that there were kittens inside the freezer. When she attempted to save them, Blanchard pushed her to the side and told her to leave, according to authorities.
Deputies, who were alerted by Blanchard’s visitor, could hear the kittens meowing from outside the freezer. Inside, they found four kittens in sandwich bags on the bottom shelf, the sheriff's office said.
A female calico and white kitten was unresponsive and a male orange and white kitten was having trouble breathing. All four kittens were also covered in fleas.
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An adult cat inside the home was unharmed but transferred to the Society and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals with the three male kittens that survived.
