A Beech Grove man who shot and killed his neighbor’s cat, Oreo, will not spend additional time behind bars after a judge handed down a largely suspended sentence this week. Jonathan Mosier was convicted of cruelty to an animal and given a 360-day jail term, with most of that time suspended. He was also ordered to complete 80 hours of community service and received credit for time he had already served.
According to FOX59, Mosier’s 360-day sentence includes 354 days suspended, three days of credit for time served, and a requirement to perform 80 hours of community service at Indianapolis Animal Care and Control Services. Court records list his conviction as cruelty to an animal, a Class A misdemeanor. Prosecutors also pointed out that Mosier is already prohibited from carrying a handgun in Indiana because of a prior felony theft conviction from 2010.
How the Shooting Unfolded
The shooting happened on July 23, 2025, in the 200 block of N. 9th Avenue in Beech Grove, where neighbors later found Oreo dead from a gunshot wound in an alley, as reported by WRTV. Mosier first told responding officers he had fired a pellet gun in self-defense. He later admitted he actually used a semiautomatic pistol, and court documents note he had scratches on his left arm at the time.
Oreo’s owner described the aftermath as emotionally brutal. “My heart hurts. First night, I didn’t sleep at all,” she told reporters, according to WLKY, underscoring how the cat was treated like a member of the family.
Where It Landed Legally
Under Indiana law, cruelty to an animal is charged as a Class A misdemeanor, but killing a domestic animal can rise to a Level 6 felony in certain circumstances. A Level 6 felony carries a sentencing range of six months to two and a half years, according to state code provisions detailed by Justia.
In Mosier’s case, court records and local reporting show that prosecutors chose to pursue the misdemeanor cruelty charge instead of a felony count, and the judge ultimately imposed the mostly suspended 360-day sentence rather than a felony-level term.
What’s Next
Going forward, Mosier must complete his court-ordered community service and comply with any other conditions attached to his sentence. The outcome has left Oreo’s owner and several neighbors deeply frustrated, saying the cat was more than a pet and that the loss has been devastating.
For now, Mosier remains under the court’s supervision while the terms of his sentence are carried out.
