Woman wanted in cat’s scalding death turns herself in

Karmen Coleman, 23, the woman whose video of a cat being scalded went viral on Facebook last week, surrendered to Moss Point police Friday about 1 p.m. without incident.

Police plan to arrest her on a charge of rendering criminal assistance for her involvement in the animal cruelty video circulating on social media.

The cat, shown caged and scrambling to avoid a scalding liquid being poured on it, died of its injuries within two days of the incident. The necropsy confirmed it died from the burns it suffered. Police believe one or two men also were involved.

Police issued a warrant for Coleman’s arrest Thursday.

If convicted, she could be fined $1,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail, police said.

People who shared the shocking video on Facebook warned viewers it was difficult to watch. Calls flooded in to the Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office.

“What is depicted in the video is disturbing and cruel,” District Attorney Tony Lawrence said. “I can ensure that this matter will be taken seriously and handled in accordance with the law.”

In a Facebook conversation with Coleman after the video went up, a Gulfport woman tries to find out what happened to the cat.

Posted under Coleman’s name was the comment: “The cat is alive n ok. I let the damn cat go ...”

The investigation continues.

This story was originally published December 23, 2016 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Woman wanted in cat’s scalding death turns herself in."