When an elderly woman allowed her younger ex-boyfriend to stay in her home, she likely never imagined he would end up attacking and choking her over something trivial. She also likely never expected her pet cat to become her hero, saving her from her alleged aggressor. But that’s exactly what happened.
When 60-year-old Nathaniel Charles Derouen needed a place to stay after his residence was damaged in a fire, his 74-year-old ex-girlfriend was nice enough to open her home to him and allow him to live with her during his time of need. The unnamed elderly woman, with whom Derouen had been in a relationship several years prior, even let him borrow her car on occasion while the two were roommates.
Unfortunately, Derouen had a horrible way of thanking the woman for her generosity and hospitality, as she would find out when she declined to let him use her vehicle on Christmas Day 2023. Angered by the woman’s refusal to just hand over her keys when he demanded them, Derouen allegedly pushed the elderly woman onto a bed and began attacking her.
With the woman on the bed, Derouen allegedly began choking her with one hand while covering her mouth and her nose with his other hand, preventing her from breathing. Seeing the woman in distress, unable to breathe as she was being attacked and choked by Derouen, the victim’s fearless feline heroically jumped into the fray, ready to go to battle for their human companion, The Blaze reported.
Thankfully, it didn’t take much for the cat to overcome the aggressor, who reportedly had a fear of cats. The beloved pet jumped onto Derouen as he was choking the woman, and that was enough to send the violent assailant running, giving his victim enough time to escape. According to the San Antonio Express-News, she drove to the nearest police station, where she reported the crime.
Two days after the alleged attack, the San Antonio Police arrested Nathaniel Charles Derouen. According to the affidavit, crime scene investigators were able to corroborate the victim’s claims by using alternate light source photographs, which can show injuries through the skin. In this case, the photos revealed injuries consistent with the victim’s story. It was also worth noting that Derouen had been previously convicted of assault, but police said he obtained a deferred adjudication. It was also reported that he had a pair of prior convictions for domestic violence.
With the evidence as well as his own criminal history against him, Nathaniel Charles Derouen was charged with injury to the elderly and assault. He was held on a bond of $35,000, according to court records, KENS 5 rep0rted. Meanwhile, Texas police applauded the cat, saying the pet played a pivotal role in saving its elderly owner from her attacker while she was being choked.
Nathaniel Charles Derouen might have been afraid of cats, but this fearless feline certainly wasn’t afraid of him. Instead, this courageous kitty reminded everyone that, while dogs are credited as man’s best friend, cats are often underrated and don’t get the recognition they often deserve for their loyalty, friendship, and bravery.
Cats have gained a reputation for creating mischief, but make no mistake that, although they come in a much smaller package than the typical guard dog, cats have often taken on much bigger threats to protect those they love. Just like we see with dogs, the bond between a loving owner and their loyal pet cat can be just as powerful a force—one that’s even strong enough to save a life.
