DNA Evidence Used Against Man Accused of Killing Cat

NEW YORK – DNA evidence has been used to convict murderers and free innocent men.

Now, authorities in New York have used it to go after a man accused of killing a cat.

Lordtyshon Garrett, of Brooklyn, was arraigned Friday on charges that he used an umbrella to inflict a fatal beating on his mother-in-law's cat.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says its investigators lifted samples of the cat's DNA off the umbrella and also found some of Garrett's DNA at the crime scene.

A judge ordered Garrett held in lieu of $3,500 bail. He faces a charge of felony animal cruelty.

Garrett's mother tells The New York Daily News that her son is innocent.

The ASPCA's says it has only used DNA evidence in a New york case once before.