Overview

• Carabinieri detained the 27-year-old shortly after residents saw him slit the throat of Merlin, a well-known stray in Naro.
• The suspect, a homeless Malian already under an order to leave Italy, is held in the Caltanissetta administrative center pending expulsion.
• Local reports say he dragged the carcass to the courtyard where he slept, and the mayor later clarified no parts were eaten.
• Several outlets cite witnesses who say the killing was to try to eat the animal, a point still under investigation.
• Officials and activists condemned the act, noting a prior alleged scalding of another stray and Italy’s penalties of up to four years in prison and a €60,000 fine for animal cruelty.