Woman Throws Cat Into River, Threatens To Kill Ex-Boyfriend During Arrest

Oak Hill, FL - An Oak Hill woman remains in jail with no bond after she threw a cat into the Intracoastal Waterway as it was still inside its crate, landing her a felony animal cruelty charge. And that’s not all, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office (VSO) says 53-year-old Christa Thistle was also charged with simple assault after she demanded to be taken to jail so she could make a phone call, bond out, and kill her ex-boyfriend. The incident began after deputies were called to the Riverwood Park Campground on Burch Road just before 7:00 Thursday night (August 19) in reference to the animal abuse. At the scene, deputies learned that Thistle and her boyfriend had broken up recently and got into an argument about him not moving out fast enough. As she was moving his belongings out of the RV, Thistle knocked over some food that was being cooked, then picked up a cat crate with the cat, named Stanley, still inside and threw it into the river. The boyfriend then jumped into the water to rescue Stanley. He estimated the cat was submerged for about 20 seconds. Stanley was still wet and shivering when deputies arrived, and the boyfriend was wet from the waist down. Thistle initially denied the allegations. She was taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail where she remains in custody with no bond. Volusia County Animal Services took custody of Stanley for follow-up evaluation and care.