Mission Viejo Man Charged With Animal Abuse After Dumping Cat In Trash

LAGUNA HILLS, CA — A 58-year-old Mission Viejo man was charged Friday with dumping a cat into a trash bin in Laguna Hills.

Joseph Harrison Parker was charged with a felony count of cruelty to animals and a misdemeanor count of abandoning a cat. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in the jail courtroom and was scheduled to return to court March 24 for a pretrial hearing in the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.

Parker's bail was set at $2,000. A defense attorney requested a release on his own recognizance over the objections of prosecutors.

The feline was tossed into the trash at about 7:20 p.m. Monday in the 25000 block of Cabot Road in the City of Laguna Hills, according to Mission Viejo Animal Services.

Animal services officers were notified about the cat Tuesday, and the animal was rescued just moments before a garbage truck was about to collect trash from the dumpster.

Authorities found surveillance video footage of a man driving behind the businesses in the area, parking near the trash bin and tossing a white garbage bag into it, according to MVAS.

The cat, named BooBoo, is currently on the mend with undisclosed injuries.

The suspect, identified as Joseph Harrison Parker of Mission Viejo, was arrested Wednesday, according to Sgt. Matt Timmins of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

"Through out social media, the cat owner came forward and identified the man was her roommate seen in the video, and we conducted an investigation and have probable cause that the suspect was in violation of animal cruelty," Mission Viejo Animal Services Supervisor Kyle Warner said.