Prosecutors: Mastic man accused of shooting cat with air gun

Suffolk County prosecutors charged a Mastic man Wednesday with felony criminal mischief and animal cruelty after investigators said he pulled up to a home in Mastic Beach and shot a cat with a BB or pellet gun.

John Lettieri, 53, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the two felony charges, including aggravated cruelty to animals.

Lettieri is accused of pulling his black Ford F-350 pickup in front of the house in nearby Mastic Beach at 4:15 a.m. on Aug. 15 and firing twice at Coco, a 12-year-old cat in front of the home, according to a criminal complaint.

Police said in court records that the owner of the cat was a stranger to Lettieri and the alleged shooting appeared to be random. Prosecutors believe Lettieri used a pellet gun or a BB gun in the shooting that partially paralyzed the cat and caused more than $16,000 in emergency veterinary care.

The shooting was caught on surveillance video and Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said prosecutors are looking for additional footage to determine whether the suspect targeted other homes.

"Surveillance video depicts the defendant’s vehicle stopping ... firing an initial shot at the cat, then reversing and repositioning before firing a second shot," the criminal complaint states. "The second projectile struck Coco."

Police said the projectile was lodged in the cat's vertebrate, causing spinal fragmentation and paralysis of both hind legs. The cat was also diagnosed with a pulmonary contusion and internal bleeding.

"The defendant’s conduct, undertaken with no justifiable purpose and resulting in the intentional infliction of extreme pain and serious physical injury to a companion animal," the complaint states. When interviewed by police, Lettieri allegedly said, "I know what this is about. It’s about the cat. It’s crazy, I have an attorney so we can’t talk about it."

Lettieri was released on his own recognizance and ordered to stay away from Coco’s owner following his arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip. His attorney Natasja Bellinger declined to comment.

Court records show Lettieri has a lengthy criminal record including prior misdemeanor convictions of theft, unlawful possession of a vehicle and a forged instrument. Prosecutors said they could not discuss his prior criminal history.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.