Animal cruelty charges have been leveled against a local teen for kicking an armadillo.

The teen, Daniel A. Patterson, 19, was hit with the misdemeanor charge for an incident that happened on the town square in Smithville.

“Paterson committed animal cruelty by kicking an armadillo in the middle of the street on the square,” the police report reads, the teen telling police he had a good reason.

“He said he did it because it was a nuisance to him,” the report concludes.
Animal cruelty is a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to an 11-month, 29-day sentence.