Woman Films Friend Tossing Cat Off 3rd-Floor Balcony While They Both Just Laugh

A teenager has been charged with animal cruelty after an Instagram video was posted of a cat getting thrown from a third-floor balcony.

The distressing footage, which emerged over the weekend, allegedly shows Tikeemah J. Lassiter swinging the cat inside a home in Newark, New Jersey.

Suddenly, the 19-year-old tosses the cat out of a balcony window and sends it flying across the air.

It lands three stories below onto a sidewalk by a main road and is visibly stunned. The cat doesn't move. It appears injured but conscious.

Meanwhile, two women can be heard in fits of hysterics.

The alarm was raised by a concerned member of the public who saw the video and was distressed.

Lassiter was arrested on Saturday and charged with animal cruelty, reports NJ.com.

The accused, who lives in Clinton, is believed to have been visiting relatives when the incident took place.

The cat, which does not belong to Lassiter, survived and has been placed in the care of the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Officials say this is a temporary measure while the cat gets checked out by a vet.

It's been reported New Jersey Transit Police had previously issued a $10,000 arrest warrant for Lassiter over an alleged assault.

According to New Jersey animal cruelty laws, anyone who intentionally brings harm to a living creature can be fined up to $2,000 or even face a maximum prison sentence of six months.

On a side note, many people in the state of New Jersey may not be aware they have a legal obligation to stop if they knowingly hit an animal while behind the wheel.

Law states they must get in touch with the nearest Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and give his/her name, address, operator's license and registration number, as well as the location of the injured animal.

Citations: NJ.com