A lunatic loser shot a beloved Long Island cat and left the kitty unable to walk — but the accused gunman was cut loose with no bail, prosecutors said.
John Lettieri, 53, allegedly shot 12-year-old Coco the Cat with a .22. in a twisted drive-by shooting through a residential area of Mastic Beach on Aug. 15, officials said.
But Lettieri walked after he was arrested Tuesday and charged with felony animal cruelty and criminal mischief — which aren’t bail eligible under state law, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.
The sicko pleaded not guilty.
Coco, 12, was shot down in a suburban yard on the morning of Aug. 15. GoFundMe“If an individual is capable of doing this to another living creature, in this case a cat, there’s no telling what they can do — we would allege they would be capable of just about anything,” Tierney said Wednesday during a visit with the wounded cat.
“Clearly this was not an accident. For whatever reason, this poor animal was targeted,” he added. “We advocated with our legislature to make victims of animal abuse compensated through the crime victims compensation fund. That hasn’t happened.”
Shocking home footage caught a black Ford F350 pull up to a home and open fire where Coco was standing alongside a picket fence.
Coco scampered for cover — but the driver casually put his truck in reverse and slowly rolled backwards — then opened fire on the cat again, the footage showed.
The driver shot at Coco once and the cat fled — but the driver calmly reversed and kept firing. GoFundMeCoco was found the next morning by neighbors and its owner, Melissa Violam, thought at first he’d been hit by a car.
“The bullet was right up against the right side of his spine — they had to pull it out of one of the vertebrae,” Violam told The Post.
The family claims they have dished out more than $18,450 into surgeries and treatments to save Coco and have set up a GoFundMe to help with the his medical care.
A bullet was lodged in Coco’s spine, and though he survived he’s been left unable to use his hind legs. Brandon Cruz“How he made it through, I don’t know,” Violam said.
“There’s a chance he could walk again or get some mobility back at some point. He’s already starting to move his feet,” Violam added. “He’s doing rehab, laser therapy, and acupuncture. It’s slow, but he’s getting there.”
Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney thinks the man arrested for shooting Coco should be behind bars, and not freed. Brandon Cruz
Coco loved romping around outside before he was shot — but now it’s unclear if he will ever walk on four paws again. GoFundMeAnd while the DA is calling for changes in state bail laws, for now he’s just happy the kitty is on the mend.
“We look forward to holding this individual responsible,” Tierney said. “For right now, we’re just happy Coco is still with us.”
