Dad says daughter didn't burn cat

<p>The father of one of the girls accused of burning a feral kitten on the banks of Paulin Creek said his daughter pleaded not guilty this week to felony animal cruelty and that a trial is set for early September.</p><p>The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office would not release any information about the case because details about juvenile proceedings are protected under state law.</p><p>The father, who asked that his name not be used, said his teenage daughter and the other teenage girl have been in Juvenile Hall since they were arrested a little more than a month ago. He said the courts have refused to release his daughter to his custody.</p><p>"I guess they just want to make an example out of my daughter," he said. "They should be given help, not trying to get vengeance."</p><p>Meanwhile, investigators for the Sonoma County Public Defender's Office have been interviewing people in the Apple Valley neighborhood near Paulin Creek where the kitten, who has been given the name Adam, was burned.</p><p>The mother of the 11-year-old boy who said he saw two teen girls on the other side of the creek standing next to a trapper's cage said investigators interviewed her son in recent weeks. She said that one of the investigators, Carlos Escobedo, asked her to sign a document that would allow him to access the boy's school records.</p><p>"He said it was part of the investigation," the mother said, speaking in Spanish. "I told him I didn't want any problems. He said it was confidential and that the information would never be released."</p><p>The mother of the boy, who appears to be the only witness, said she signed the document because she felt intimidated.</p><p>"I thought that if I refused, he might think I had something to hide," she said. "I felt fear that they would do something to him."</p><p>Escobedo said Thursday he could not comment on the matter because "it is a confidential investigation involving a juvenile."</p><p>Assistant District Attorney Christine Cook said that juvenile court proceedings are closed to the public under state law and no information can be released.</p><p>Cook said that includes any "determination whether the juveniles should continue to be detained," as well as the court decision in the case.</p><p>"I won't be able to release any information to you about confidential juvenile proceedings because it is protected by California state law," Cook said.</p><p>The accused girl's father insists his daughter did not burn the kitten. He said the ones responsible for the crime are "little boys" he referred to as "gang members."</p><p>He said his daughter initially said she was responsible because she was afraid of retaliation and did not want to be labeled a snitch.</p><p>"She took the cats, but she's not the one that burned them," he said.</p><p>Bob Garcia, supervising animal control officer for the county, said he could not comment on whether others were involved in the case because the matter was currently being handled by the District Attorney's Office.</p><p>"We've provided the defense with all our reports and everything we have," Garcia said. "I think it's a good case, it's a solid case."</p><p>The accused girl's father said his daughter is likely to remain in Juvenile Hall for another month until her September hearing.</p><p>The kitten is scheduled for more surgical procedures next week, including further reconstruction of his rectal area.</p><p>The surgery, tentatively set for Tuesday, follows a skin graft operation last week to cover his back after burned and dead skin was removed.</p><p>Lisa Alexander, a veterinary surgeon with Animal Care Center in Rohnert Park, has donated her time to perform four surgeries on Adam.</p><p>Alexander said she was encouraged by Adam's progress and expected the second skin graft to heal as well as the first.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com.</p>