JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Blake Miles pleaded guilty to two counts of Aggravated Animal Abuse on Thursday. The 35-year-old was sentenced to 12 months in Duval County Jail as well as ordered to pay restitution to the victim, according to the State Attorney's Office.
Miles was initially arrested on charges of animal cruelty and petit theft. He was then charged with an additional count of animal cruelty in relation to the attempted drowning of a cat.
According to a police report, a witness told the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office that his roommate's cat had been tortured and caused unnecessary suffering at the hand of Miles.
He advised that several months back that Miles had entered the residence with another tenant and asked to use the restroom. A few minutes later, the complainant says they heard a loud thump inside the bathroom. Several minutes later, Miles reportedly exited the bathroom and the complainant found a cat in the bathtub "clinging for life".
The cat was described as being soaked and unable to move. Additionally, the cat's owner told police that the cat was found covered in feces.
The animal was nursed back to health for six hours before he was able to move again, according to the complainant.
The complainant said when he heard about the mutilation and torture of cats in the Springfield area, he immediately thought of Miles and entered a Crime Stoppers tip.
Police say they acted on the tip and were able to make an arrest based on scratch marks on the shower curtain and cat hair in the shower rings.
There was a second incident when Miles attempted to smother a cat with a tarp, according to the SAO. A neighbor captured the incident on video.