Prosecutors declined to file animal cruelty charges against a New Smyrna Beach man who was accused of breaking the neck of his girlfriend’s cat, according to records.
Michael Mule, 44, was arrested by New Smyrna Police on Jan. 17 on a charge of felony animal cruelty. He was booked into the Volusia County jail and released about five hours later on $5,000 bail.
But independent reviews by two veterinarians showed that the “cat’s neck was neither broken nor fractured,” according to a March 18 memo from prosecutors explaining the decision not to file charges against Mule.
Mule was represented by Daytona Beach criminal defense attorney Aaron Delgado, who is also a city commissioner.