(NOTE CONTENT) We don’t know what would drive a person to commit such a heinous act, but a Florida woman is facing animal cruelty charges for drowning her roommate’s pet spider in ginger ale.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office announced in a since-deleted press release that a 43-year-old woman — later identified as Ilena Rasmussen — intentionally killed her roommate’s small jumping spider on July 15, according to WKRG-TV.
The Sheriff’s Office said that Rasmussen’s roommate returned to her home and found the spider and its enclosure missing, per the outlet.
No motive was given for the killing.
Under Florida law, animal cruelty that results in an animal’s death is a first-degree misdemeanor that can be punished by a maximum fine of $5,000, a maximum of one year in prison, or both.