Editor’s note: This article contains sensitive language. 

Kishnel Boineuf, a Florida Atlantic University student and former men’s basketball team manager, has pleaded not guilty to an aggravated animal cruelty charge, according to court records. His next trial hearing is set for Oct. 7 in Palm Beach County.

According to April 28 court records, the Boca Raton Police Department accused Boineuf of committing aggravated animal cruelty against his former roommate’s cat on Feb. 27. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office jail blotters show he was booked on a third-degree felony charge on July 10. He posted a $100,000 bond two days later.

Court records show that police issued a warrant for Boineuf on April 28 following the Feb. 27 incident. The report says he returned to his former roommate Ryan Schenk’s home in Boca Raton that day to pick up his belongings. Outdoor security footage captured him entering the apartment while no one was home. When Schenk returned, he found his cat severely injured and rushed to a local animal hospital.

The University Press contacted Boineuf multiple times, but he did not respond before publication. FAU has not released a public statement on the case.

FAU Deputy Athletics Director Mike DeGeorge told the University Press that Boineuf has not served as a basketball manager since the 2023-24 season. He added that the department could not provide further information on the case.

Boineuf was part of FAU’s Lambda Beta Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha in 2023, according to the fraternity’s Instagram account. The fraternity did not respond to requests for comment.

Police investigated the case on March 31 and interviewed Schenk, who said he heard the cat “screaming and hissing” on his camera’s audio recording since no cameras operated inside the home. Schenk said the recording also captured items being banged and thrown around in the February incident.

Schenk said his cat was healthy before he left for work that day. When he returned, the cat was in a fetal position with blood coming from its mouth and lip, bloodshot eyes, and appeared “almost unresponsive.” Schenk called Boineuf at the animal hospital, and Boineuf denied interacting with the cat while expressing concern for the animal.

In an interview with police, Dr. Natalie Sastiel of Central Animal Hospital in Boca Raton said she sedated the cat due to severe pain during the February incident. She examined the animal and found signs consistent with strangulation and swelling.

In a separate incident during Thanksgiving 2023, Jackson Sullivan, who also lives in the home, said he found his cat with injuries similar to those in the February case. Court records indicate that Boineuf, along with his girlfriend, Olivia, was a roommate at the time. Sullivan, Schenk’s boyfriend, rushed the cat to the Veterinary Emergency Group in Boynton Beach, where Dr. Lauren Krone initially suggested allergies as a possible cause.

“Dr. Krone expressed to Sullivan that the injuries to (the cat) led her to believe there had been some kind of abuse. Based on the fully swollen face, blood in the eyes, and a broken canine, it looks to be from smashing the face or being choked. The injuries from this November incident are similar to the injuries (the cat) received in February,” the court record states, referring to a police interview with Krone.

According to the records, Sullivan said the cat would run and hide at the sight of Boineuf after the incident. Police tried to speak with Boineuf, but he declined to talk without an attorney. After the investigation, Boca Raton police concluded they had reason to believe Boineuf committed aggravated animal cruelty and issued an arrest warrant in April.

This is a developing story; more information will be added once available. 

Michael Cook is the Editor-in-Chief for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email michael17cook@gmail.com.