A Video Landed A Copperopolis Man Behind Bars
Copperopolis, CA – Although no one was seen in a video showing a cat inhumanely killed, tips led to the arrest of a Copperopolis man – now behind bars on $65,000 bail.
The video was circulating on social media Thursday (March 10) and when the cat’s owner saw it, they called the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office. The owner detailed that the cat had been missing for over a week and they had been searching for it while also posting flyers in the community.
Investigators got information of a possible suspect, 19-year-old Colton Fontes. When questioned by deputies, he denied killing the cat. A closer look at the video revealed that the background was an identical match to part of Fontes’ residence., but at the time deputies decided not to handcuff Fontes noting that further investigation was needed, according to spokesperson Lt. Greg Stark.
That changed today when the continued probe turned up the weapon used to kill the cat, and the deputy determined there was no legal justification for killing the cat. Then Fontes confessed to the slaying and was arrested for felony animal cruelty.
