Summer trial set for Oxford man indicted in Hamilton cat cruelty case

A summer trial date has been set for an Oxford man facing a felony animal cruelty charge 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 month, 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.

Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth has scheduled Bai’s trial for July 15. He is scheduled to be back in court May 9 for a pretrial hearing. Bai is free on $50,000 bond.

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.

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