Metro

Brutal cat killing prompts community-wide manhunt

A brute is wanted for killing a defenseless kitten on a Queens street, cops said.

The suspect attacked the feline on August 21 around 11:30 p.m. on 21st Avenue near 33rd Street in Astoria, according to police.

It was left for dead with a crushed rib cage. Flyers posted around the neighborhood show the cat with pieces of concrete and sticks around its body.

A witness told investigators he saw a man about 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds standing over the cat but the man fled eastbound on 21st Avenue, cops said.

“He was a very sweet cat,” Paul Santell, 37, told DNA Info, adding that he nicknamed the cat Bobby. “He moved a little slower than the rest. He might not have been completely wild.”

The flyer was also posted on community website, Astoria 7, that helps residents find lost kittens and care for strays around the neighborhood.

The post states, “It appeared like the cat was stabbed and stomped until it died. The men were close to their 20s.”

But police believe there was only one suspect.

The community Facebook site is asking for people to sign a petition to be presented to the Police Commissioner.

“Please sign the petition and demand an investigation in this case. This must not go without punishment for the thugs that took the life of an innocent and defenseless cat.”

The investigation is ongoing, cops said.