PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — Authorities have detained a man from Hawthorne following accusations of discarding five newborn kittens into a garbage bin, according to a statement from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to a property in Hawthorne where a woman had reported distressing cries coming from the trash. Upon investigation, she found two plastic bags containing the kittens. A neighbor, who had installed surveillance cameras on the property, provided footage showing 36-year-old Tyler Holtz depositing the bags into the bin, as confirmed by the sheriff’s office.

The kittens, each with their umbilical cords still attached, were estimated to be just five hours old at the time of discovery, with their mother nowhere to be seen.

After finding the kittens, the woman rushed them for urgent medical attention. Sadly, reports indicate that four of the five kittens did not survive. The remaining kitten was receiving care at a clinic in Ocala as of Tuesday, the sheriff’s office reported.

Holtz was apprehended on April 25, facing five counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty for allegedly leaving the kittens to perish. As of Tuesday, April 28, he was still in custody. Each charge, classified as a first-degree misdemeanor, could lead to a maximum jail term of one year.