Written by
The Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) - A South Florida man who once faced animal cruelty charges in a string of cat killings is suing Miami-Dade County and officials who worked the case for false arrest.
Tyler Weinman, then 18, was arrested in June 2009 following a two-month string of cat deaths. Veterinarians working with authorities concluded that 19 of 33 total cats found were killed by a human. But a forensic veterinarian hired by Weinman's attorneys found puncture marks consistent with large animal bites on the eight cat carcasses that had been preserved.
The veterinarians who made the original report admitted that the defense expert was correct, and prosecutors dropped the charges in November 2010.
The Miami Herald reported Wednesday that the suit asks for more than $15,000 in damages, noting that Weinman's family spent more than $144,000 for his defense.
A county spokesman told The Associated Press they don't comment on lawsuits.