UPDATE: Formal charges against three former Jayco employees related to alleged animal cruelty have been dismissed for further investigation, according to Elkhart County Prosecutor Vicki Becker. The prosecutor is awaiting additional information to clarify the facts, which has affected the initial charging decision. No new charges will be made until this investigation is completed.
Charges have been dropped against three men who work for the Jayco RV company in Middlebury, who are accused of putting live cats in a trash compactor.
The three men, John Lipscomb 44; Travis McKay, 29 and Arlin Hochstetler, 31, were each charged, this week, with torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal, which are felonies.
The incident happened Feb. 27, according to court records.
The men boxed up the cats, before sliding them into the compactor. According to the court documents the men believed they were doing the right thing and did not believe the cats would suffer, and that since the animal shelters were full, they would eliminate the cats themselves.
Jayco issued the following statement on the incident:
“We take this matter very seriously, and do not condone the actions of the three individuals involved or animal cruelty of any manner. Their employment with the company has been terminated. Immediate measures were taken and continue to be executed to educate employees on appropriate procedures and company expectations.”
ORIGINAL STORY: Three former Jayco employees face felony charges for allegedly killing cats by placing them in a trash compactor.
In late February, Middlebury police were called to Jayco after reports of the incident.
The Goshen News reports John Lipscomb told officers they were struggling with stray cats on the property.
One cat got its claw stuck in a cage, so Lipscomb cut off its toe and, with help from Travis McKay and Arlin Hochstetler, put two cats into microwave boxes, sealed them, and placed them in the compactor.
McKay said the local animal shelter was full, so they decided to handle it themselves.
Jayco has fired all three employees. They face two counts of torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal.
