Oxford man indicted for Hamilton cat cruelty case; grand jury ignores B&E charge

An Oxford man has been indicted for felony animal cruelty in a Hamilton case that resulted in grave injuries to a cat that later was euthanized.

Zhean Bai, 27, was arrested Feb. 6 at his residence at Oxford West Apartments on Ogden Court and charged with prohibitions concerning companion animals, and breaking and entering, both fifth-degree felonies.

Last week a Butler County grand jury indicted Bai on one count of cruelty to companion animal, a fifth-degree felony. The grand jury declined to return a indictment for breaking and entering.

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Bai was arraigned March 14 in Butler County Common Pleas Court, where Judge Keith Spaeth continued $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to be back in court April 11 for a pretrial hearing.

Bai’s arrest came after a tip from a concerned citizen, the suspect a day after a the sheriff’s office offered a $250 reward for information on the identity of a suspect in the Jan. 24 incident.

The Butler County Sheriff’s Office took to social media to identify a man who appears to capture a cat then slam it to the ground at a Hamilton apartment complex, causing the animal grave injuries.

The incident happened at 9 p.m. Jan. 24 at Indian Springs apartments on Hampshire Drive. The cat was found by deputy dog wardens behind the complex and had to be euthanized due to its injuries.