UPDATE: Jayco releases official statement, announces termination of 3 employees
8 P.M UPDATE: Jayco reached out to ABC57 News Thursday to give second statement:
After investigating the quote attributed to Devon Miller, Vice President of Operations in the charging materials filed against the three former Jayco employees, it is apparent that Mr. Miller has been misquoted. Mr. Miller adamantly denies making the statement attributed to him in the affidavit. Jayco has requested the original file materials from the Middlebury Police Department in the hopes to better understand how Mr. Miller’s words were twisted so grotesquely between the time he cooperated with authorities in February to the time the false quote was included in the charging affidavit in June. Once again, Jayco, and its management team, including Mr. Miller, does not condone the type of behavior alleged to have occurred.
2 P.M. UPDATE: Jayco reached out to ABC57 News Thursday to give the following statement:
"We take this matter very seriously, and do not condone the actions of the three individuals involved or animal cruelty of any manner. Their employment with the company has been terminated. Immediate measures were taken and continue to be executed to educate employees on appropriate procedures and company expectations."
ORIGINAL: MIDDLEBURY, Ind. -- Three Jayco RV manufacturing employees have been charged with Animal Cruelty after they admitted to putting two live cats into microwave boxes, taping them shut, and placing them in a trash compactor at the 903 S Main St. location.
The three men, 29-year-old Travis McKay, 31-year-old Arlin J. Hochstetler, and 44-year-old John H. Lipscomb , admitted to police that they have been having a problem with stray cats and that they were trying to fix the problem.
"McKay stated the animal shelters were full, and he thought he could 'take care' of the situation," the Middlebury Police Department said.
"McKay stated Lipscomb placed the two cats into boxes and then McKay and Hochstetler placed the cats into the trash compactor."
This was not the first interaction the male suspects have had with stray cats on the property.
"Lipscomb advised one cat got its claw stuck in a cage, so he cut the toe off," MDP said.
"Lipscomb advised both cats were alive when he and other employees, whom he identified as McKay and Hochstetler, placed the cats into the compactor."
Hochstetler told police he and Lipscomb did not want the animals to suffer, but they also wanted to eliminate the nuisance.
"Hochstetler stated Lipscomb placed the two cats into two separate boxes," MPD said. "Hochstetler stated he himself placed one cat into the trash compactor, and McKay placed the other cat into the trash compactor. Hochstetler stated they did not want the cats to come back."
Authorities then spoke with Jayco Vice President of Operation Devon Miller, "who indicated he believed the men acted in the company's best interest by placing the live cats into the trash compactor," MPD said.
McKay, Hochstetler, and Lipscomb were each charged with two counts of Level 6 Felony Torturing or Mutilating a Vertebrate Animal def. knowingly tortures or mutilates a (Aiding, Inducing, or Causing an Offense).
While the incident reportedly happened on Feb. 27, probable cause affidavits in the case were filed June 9.
Thor Industries, Inc. bought Jayco for approximately $576 million in cash in the summer of 2016.