In a surprising turn of events, a domestic cat has emerged as a hero after saving its 74-year-old owner from an alleged attack on Christmas Day. Nathaniel Charles Derouen, 60, was arrested by the San Antonio Police Department following claims that he assaulted the elderly woman in her home. As reported by KENS5, the woman had previously offered Derouen a place to stay after his home suffered fire damage.
The ordeal began when Derouen reportedly became irate after the woman refused to let him use her vehicle. In a statement obtained by KENS5, Derouen is alleged to have pushed her onto a bed and began to choke her, "unable to breathe," as he blocked her airways with his hands. It was during this harrowing attack that the victim's cat intervened, jumping onto Derouen, leveraging his fear of cats to abruptly halt the attack.
Thanks to the feline intervention, the victim managed to escape, get into her car, and promptly drive to alert the authorities. San Antonio Police have corroborated the victim’s account with "alternate light source photographs," which, according to KENS5, show injuries consistent with her account of strangulation.
Additional information provided by Express News reveals that Derouen has a past marred by domestic violence convictions. His bond has been set at $35,000, and a court hearing is "to be held on Jan. 24." The nature of the incident and the subsequent arrest have gravely highlighted both the vulnerability of the elderly in domestic spaces and the potential for even the smallest members of our households to become unforeseen protectors.
