MEDIA COURTHOUSE — The Upper Chichester teenager charged in the killing of Cuddles the kitten entered a guilty plea to animal cruelty charges and was sentenced Monday.
Rishawn “Bean” Morrison, 19, of the 1100 block of Galbrath Avenue, was arrested in October after witnesses identified him as the person they saw throw rocks at the 1.5-pound kitten before holding him down and setting him on fire during the afternoon of Oct. 4, according to the arrest affidavit.
Morrison appeared before Judge James Nilon F. Jr. and entered an open guilty plea to cruelty to animals, a first-degree misdemeanor.
He was sentenced to six to 23 months to be served on electronic home monitoring and was credited for the 46 days he spent under confinement at George W. Hill Correctional Facility.
In addition, he was sentenced to two years probation, 64 hours of community service and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and to attend counseling.
Nilon also forbid him to own an animal or have any unsupervised contact with animals.
On Oct. 3, Cuddles, a 6-week-old male, brown tabby, was discovered injured in an alley of the 700 block of West Fifth Street by Chester police.
Responding officers saw a group of 10 to 15 people huddled in a circle. They scattered and officers discovered the kitten, which had a 1-inch stripe of singed fur from head to tail.
Taken to Old Marple Veterinary Hospital for treatment for second-degree burns to his right ear and smoke inhalation, Cuddles died the following night.
Donations to a reward fund set up by the Delaware County SPCA grew to more than $700 in the days following Cuddles’ death as investigators searched for the kitten’s killer. Investigators reportedly received dozens of calls with information in the case.
Witnesses told police they saw Morrison throwing stones at the feline and then hold him down and set it on fire, according to court papers.
Morrison was arrested Oct. 8 during classes at Chichester High School, where he is a senior.
“What’s this about?” Morrison asked authorities when they appeared in his art class with an arrest warrant, according to reports.
“I’m an animal lover,” the suspect reportedly said. “I would never do anything like that.”
A week later, his defense attorney asked his bail, set at 10 percent of $500,000, be reduced so the teen could return to school before his trial. Chester Magisterial District Judge Dawn Vann denied the request.
