Bartlesville man arrested for animal cruelty accused of setting mouse on fire

A Bartlesville man is facing an animal cruelty charge after he allegedly lit a mouse on fire.

Police arrested Bradley Valdez on Tuesday night after investigating a call reporting something on fire that appeared to be running down the street.

Bartlesville Police Chief Tom Holland told 2NEWS when police arrived to the 300 block of W. 8th Street in Bartlesville, they searched the area and found a large mouse that had been burned and was deceased.

On a front porch near where it had died, police saw lighter fluid and a small grill with still hot coals. They also noticed people inside the home peering out the windows and watching police.

Later when a woman came out to speak to police, she told them her husband was responsible for the dead mouse and went back into the house to get him.

Valdez then coming outside reportedly told police he had set the mouse on fire had watched it run down 8 ^th Street.

He said originally he had purchased the mouse as food for his pet snake. But when the snake wouldn't eat the mouse and the mouse started to beat the snake, Valdez considered releasing the mouse but decided against it, afraid it would “get into to things.” It was then he decided to set it on fire.

According to Holland, Valdez told police the incident was not a big deal and then asked them if they had anything else better to do.

Police then arrested Valdez for cruelty to animals and brought him to the Washington County jail. During his booking, officials noticed Valdez was wanted on a number of municipal warrants.