PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A Hawthorne man was back behind bars within days of his release on an animal cruelty charge after allegedly threatening to kill a family member, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Tyler Holtz, 36, was first arrested April 28 after a witness heard kittens crying from a trash can at a Hawthorne residence and discovered five newborn kittens sealed inside two plastic bags, the sheriff’s office reported. A neighbor’s surveillance camera captured Holtz placing the bags in the garbage.
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Deputies noted the kittens still had umbilical cords attached and were approximately five hours old. The mother cat was not located. The witness took possession of the kittens to seek emergency veterinary care. Four of the five kittens subsequently died; one remained under treatment at an Ocala veterinary office as of this week, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Holtz was charged with five counts of animal cruelty, abandoning an animal to die, and released May 1 on $12,500 bond, with a condition that he commit no further crimes.
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Approximately three days later, Holtz allegedly sent text messages to a family member stating the recipient was “a dead man walking” and referencing his access to firearms, the sheriff’s office says. The victim told deputies he feared for his life and said Holtz was known to possess a firearm.
Deputies located Holtz during a traffic stop and charged him with sending a written threat to kill. He is being held at the Putnam County Jail on no bond, the sheriff’s office says.
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