NEWMAN-

Three cats in Newman were shot with crossbow darts this Saturday; one in the spine, another in the chest and the third in the eye.

“These are all injuries that could have been fatal,” said Suzanne Solvin with West Side Animal Hospital.

Mary Areias-Romo was out doing yard work with her children when her son found the injured cat.

“I picked her up, my daughter held her and the cross bow dart was all the way in and only the tip was sticking out of her eye,” said Mary Areias-Romo.

They rushed Bella to West Side Animal Hospital, and on their way home, they saw another cat running across the street this cat had a dart through its back.

“It’s awful. I thought, ‘what could survive that?’” said Areias-Romo.

Later, the family learned that a third cat had been rushed to the vet with a dart through its chest.

“You think someone who would do this to an animal, they will upgrade to a child or a person,”said Areias-Romo.

Areias-Romo’s sister put up a $500 reward for the person who comes forward with information that leads to an arrest.

Corporal Jason Gosselin with the Newman Police Department thinks the person responsible needs serious help. This crime is a felony, and the person responsible could face a fine and jail time.