A jury in Los Angeles has found a firefighter who assaulted a woman for feeding stray cats guilty for assault and battery.
The jury made the decision after 90 minutes of deliberation, and the man, 39-year-old Ian Justin Eulian, now faces seven years in prison, according to Inquisitr.
A surveillance video from 2013 shows Eulian and his 70-year-old mother, Lonieta Fontaine, in a heated argument with Rebecca Stafford, the woman said to be feeding stray cats in the area. Suddenly, Stafford threw something at the firefighter from her Jeep, which was later found out to be cat kibble for stray animals.
At this point, Fontaine began exchanging blows with Stafford until Eulian pushes his mother off and lunges at Stafford himself. He continued to punch at Stafford until he dragged her out of the Jeep where she collapsed on the ground.
The mother then pulled her son off of the woman and he walked away. Next, they gathered her up and drove the woman to her home. Stafford told reporters that she doesn't recall being beaten but was told by the couple that she tripped and fell, Inquisitr reported.
Because the firefighter said he only beat the woman feeding the stray cats in defense of his mom, he and his attorney plan to appeal ahead of the June sentencing date.
The LAFD made a statement about the incident, saying that it will take the appropriate disciplinary measures in handling Eulian's actions, The Spread It reported.
