The dog's owner told deputies she found out at about 7 p.m. Thursday that her dog, Thomas, had been found dead on the side of the road in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, authorities said.
Gant said the dog's owner reviewed a neighbor's security camera footage the next morning and saw a white pickup run over Thomas.
"The video showed the truck swerve sharply at the dog before running over him," Gant said. "The driver then got out, walked over to the dog, nudged him with his boot and then kicked him before getting back in his truck and driving away.
“A witness who drove up on the incident identified the driver as Kayat, who later contacted the Sheriff's Office to meet with a deputy and provide his account of the incident. Kayat claimed he intentionally swerved at the dog to spook it, not to run it over. He expressed remorse.”
The dog did not survive.
Kayat was arrested on a third-degree felony charge of animal cruelty. He remains in the Volusia County Branch Jail on $2,500 bail.
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