Animal rights groups in Tijuana will march on Friday, May 8, to demand justice after the man accused of torturing and killing a two-month-old kitten was released from custody without charges. The march begins at 11 a.m. at the Glorieta Cuauhtémoc on Paseo de los Héroes and will proceed to the offices of the Fiscalía General del Estado (FGE), Baja California’s state prosecutor.
César Jovany, 29, is accused of sewing shut the eyes, mouth, and genitals of the kitten while it was still alive. A video posted to Facebook showed the animal inside a glass jar with thread stitched through its body. The footage went viral in late April and triggered widespread outrage across Baja California.
Arrest and Release
Police detained César Jovany on April 28 at a hotel in Colonia El Dorado, Tijuana, while he was allegedly committing a separate offense. He was held at the Estancia Municipal de Infractores, a municipal holding facility. At the time of his detention, however, the FGE had not yet obtained an arrest warrant for animal cruelty.
Because prosecutors failed to secure the warrant before his hold expired, César Jovany walked free. The case file, known as a carpeta de investigación, remains open, but no new arrest has been made.
Second Protest in Two Weeks
Friday’s march will be the second organized protest over this case. The first took place on April 26, when members of the animal rescue collective Patitas Firmes and other citizens gathered at the Glorieta Cuauhtémoc to demand the FGE investigate. Activists at that earlier protest filed a formal criminal complaint and called for harsher penalties against animal abusers.
Organizers say rescue groups from across Baja California plan to attend the May 8 march. Their demands include the immediate arrest and prosecution of the suspect, as well as stronger enforcement of the state’s existing animal protection laws.
Pattern of Impunity
This is not the first time Tijuana animal advocates have marched over a suspect’s release. In November 2025, the collective Patitas Firmes organized a similar protest after a man detained for beating a group of dogs in Colonia Obrera was freed. Activists at the time documented what they called a pattern of rising animal cruelty cases paired with weak institutional follow-through.
Residents who attended the April 26 rally echoed those concerns. One attendee told local media that animal cruelty is a public safety red flag, warning that violence against animals can escalate to violence against people, including children. Activists said they will maintain a presence outside the FGE offices and monitor the investigation online until an arrest is made.
The story was first reported by Punto Norte.