The gruesome deaths of a cat and three kittens near a South Jersey Elementary School have sparked a police investigation.
On Monday, a teacher at Washington Avenue Elementary School in Pleasantville, New Jersey found the dead animals in the staff parking lot. According to police, the cats had been burned to death, though they’re not exactly sure when.
“Staff had been reporting the smell for a week,” said Pleasantville Police Ptl. Rob D’Arcangelo. “They assumed it was the dumpsters, which is in close proximity.”
School officials are currently looking through a surveillance camera near the area to see if the incident was recorded.
“We don’t want people associating animal cruelty with the school,” said Tim Newkirk, a teacher at Washington Avenue. “I can tell you the teachers in this school donate a lot of money to animal shelters and things like that.”
This isn’t the only incident of animal cruelty near the school. Last year a burned, dead dog was found in the same area. That case remains unsolved. Officials are investigating whether the two cases are related.
If you have any information on either incident, please call Pleasantville Police or the Atlantic County SPCA.
