Arrest made in kitten-throwing case

Tracy Oliver witnessed a man throwing kittens from a car.

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office has arrested Gerald Schmitt on animal cruelty charges.

Schmitt, 42, is charged with five counts of felony animal cruelty.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on May 18, when a witness saw five kittens being thrown from a car on Whitfield Avenue.

The witness, Tracy Oliver, said some of the kittens ran off into the woods, and others were killed.

Oliver followed the driver and called 911.

Schmitt was taken to the Manatee County jail and bail was set at $25,000.

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