Florida man arrested for tossing away newborn kittens accused of threatening family member: ‘Dead man walking’

HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Less than a week after a Florida man was accused of throwing five newborn kittens in the trash, he ended up back in jail after deputies said he threatened to kill a family member.

The backstory:

On April 25, 2026, deputies with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office went to a Hawthorne home after a witness told them she had removed two plastic bags containing five kittens from a trash can after hearing the animals whining inside.

The deputy said that the kittens still had umbilical cords attached and were not thriving.

Putnam County Animal Control went to the home and determined that the kittens were about five hours old. The mother cat was not located.

According to PCSO, the person who found the kittens tried to get them emergency medical help, but four died. The fifth kitten was being treated at a veterinary office in Ocala.

A neighbor who lived on the property said that he caught Tyler Holtz, 36, placing the bags in the garbage can.

Holtz was arrested on May 1 and charged with five counts of animal cruelty and abandoning an animal to die.

He was released on a $12,500 bond, on the condition that he wouldn’t commit another crime.

Dig deeper:

Approximately three days later, deputies said Holtz sent text messages to a family member stating that the victim was “a dead man walking” as well as giving details of firearms and access to weapons.

The victim reportedly told deputies he was scared for his life and that Holtz was known to have a firearm.

Deputies located Holtz during a traffic stop. He was charged with sending a written threat to kill. He is being held at the Putnam County Jail on no bond.