belton — The Belton teenager responsible for throwing a cat into Belton Lake issued an apology on Wednesday.
Channel 6 tracked down the teenager and his father as they were leaving the Bell County Sheriff’s office.
His father was very genuine and made it very clear to me that he wanted his son to take responsibility for his actions.
Because of the teenager’s age, Channel 6 is not releasing his name. He said he was very remorseful and wanted to apologize to the public.
He said he learned his lesson and never meant to cause any of this. He says not only will he be facing a punishment from his parents and the police, he will have to face a punishment with football coaches too.
"I now see that what I did was wrong and cruel, and I just want to apologize to everyone who was offended by the post,” he said.
In a press conference Wednesday, the Bell County Police Department said two other juveniles involved in this have been identified. The sheriff is sending a strong message to teenagers who use social media.
“We've all committed some stupid acts when we were teenagers,” Bell County Sheriff Eddy Lange said. “We live in a different age. Especially in the last five or ten years with social media. Anything you do today just take for granted that someone out there is shooting video of you."
The teenager said the cat survived.
"The cat did swim back on shore and was not harmed at all," he said.
The teenager's father was very proactive in handling his son’s punishment. He said his son's cell phone, and social media privileges have been taken away, and he will more than likely volunteer at a local animal shelter.