‘I was sickened’: Woman accused of tossing kittens out of minivan while driving

ATLANTA (ANF/Gray News) — A woman is facing charges for allegedly throwing kittens out of her minivan while driving in the Atlanta area.

Brookhaven police said they were called about a woman driving a Toyota Sienna who had tossed multiple kittens from her moving vehicle Wednesday afternoon.

“Once I realized what was happening in front of my very eyes, I couldn’t believe it,” said witness Maria Stewart. “I was sickened.”

According to Stewart, she was driving when she noticed a badly injured kitten on the road. She said she then made a turn and that’s when she saw two kittens, one after the other, being thrown out of a passenger-side window.

“It just killed me that someone’s kitten had gotten out,” Stewart said.

Officers reportedly found a dead kitten in the roadway near the intersection.

“You just don’t throw them out of a car – and that’s what got me so riled up,” Stewart said. “I was so upset. I mean, once I realized what was happening in front of my very eyes, I couldn’t believe it.”

Stewart then called 911 and gave officers the license plate number and a description of the driver, identified by police as 25-year-old Valentina Tobon Henao.

Officers later found Tobon Henao at a business and arrested her on a charge of cruelty to animals. Jail records show Tobon Henao was released on bond.

Stewart also posted on Instagram and said her friends called her and showed up to look for the kittens.

“Just knowing that there are people on this planet that could do something like that is sickening,” Stewart said. “I mean, this is diabolical. This is a monster activity.”

Teri Eden, Stewart’s friend who went looking for the kittens immediately, said she and her daughters found one kitten.

“It’s a miracle that this baby was found because they are teeny tiny,” Eden said. “Well, it’s heartbreaking. She was crying and relieved that she found one.”

Eden said they took the kitten to the veterinarian, where they were told he was about 8 weeks old, had a dislocated tail and scratches to his ear but otherwise had a clean bill of health.

“Why someone would choose to throw kittens out a window, I have no words,” Eden said.

Police want people to know they have options if they don’t want their animals.

“They should not do something inhumane of discarding an animal and do the proper thing of basically contacting animal control, a veterinary office, or even any other resource out there available that’s wanting to take in an animal,” Brookhaven Police Lt. Anthony Petron said.

The community was searching for an 8-week-old tabby that Stewart saw run away near Brookhaven Park. Eden and Stewart had put signs in the park Thursday evening.

The kitten has since been found.

“Seeing how the community comes together when something like this occurs, so there was a little silver lining in such a tragedy, in that it does bring people together,” Eden said.

This case remains under active investigation by the Brookhaven Police Department.

“This is something that is very sad and should not have happened,” Petron added.