Criminal Investigation Launched Into Owner Of Tiger Kitten Found On Hemet Street

PHELAN (CBSLA.com) — The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said on Friday it has launched a criminal investigation to find the person responsible for keeping and releasing a tiger that was found roaming the streets of Hemet on Thursday.

The investigation comes after a woman dropped the tiger off at the Ramona Humane Society in San Jacinto yesterday after finding the 12-week-old kitten wandering the streets of Hemet, near the intersection of Columbia Street and Stetson Avenue.

The tiger was determined to be healthy but had been declawed, which has raised questions into how the animal was treated.

The 2-foot tiger was later transported to the Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Phelan, where it joined several other tigers, including a white tiger.

The tiger kitten, which has yet to be named, is expected to grow to as large as 500 pounds.

Visitors to the shelter on Friday said they hoped authorities found the person responsible for releasing the cat.

"Where did he come from?" visitor Mihwa Barris asked. "You know, I would like the person who had him caught and reprimanded."

In order to keep a tiger an owner must have an exotic animals permit. No people have such a permit in the area where the cat was found, CBS2's Crystal Cruz reported.

If the owner is found to have kept the animal without a permit, the owner could be charged with a misdemeanor.