Overview
- David Mosley, 26, was taken into custody at 9:15 a.m. in the Bronx pursuant to an ongoing investigation, according to the NYPD.
- He was charged with two counts of criminal mischief, one count of aggravated cruelty to animals, one count of torturing/injuring/not feeding an animal, and one count of disposal of dead animals.
- Authorities are reviewing posts from a now-deleted Instagram account that showed a cat dead in an occult setting, with rescues archiving the material for investigators.
- Animal-welfare groups say he promoted a Halloween "live sacrifice" and discussed charging viewers, prompting warnings to shelters not to place pets with him.
- Mosley denied killing the cat in a YouTube livestream, claiming the image was staged with a found animal, makeup, and fake blood, while veterinarians said the photo indicated distress and a recent spay.