Woman Is Charged With Cruelty to Cats

A Costa Mesa woman was charged this week with animal cruelty in the deaths last year of three cats.

Authorities issued a warrant Thursday for the arrest of Debra Kincaid, 40, who is accused of drowning three cats, including one that she skinned, cut into pieces and tried to cook on her kitchen stove.

“The neighbors smelled something funny and called police, who found the remains of the cat being cooked,” said Tori Richards, a spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney’s office.

That cat’s name was Beauty. The other two felines, whose bodies were found separately, were named Muffin and Bonaventure, Richards said.

Detectives went to Kincaid’s house Thursday to arrest her, but she was not there, Richards said. If convicted on the charges, the woman could be sentenced to more than four years in jail.