HOPATCONG -- Following the arrest of a borough woman who went on social media to brag that her son ran over three cats with a car, the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation after finding police had no physical evidence.

HOPATCONG -- Following the arrest of a borough woman who went on social media to brag that her son ran over three cats with a car, the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation after finding police had no physical evidence to effectuate an arrest.

Vasfije "Vas" Cain, 43, was charged Monday with a disorderly persons offense of hitting a domestic animal and failing to report, according to Hopatcong Police Lt. Megan McCluskey.

On Aug. 22, Cain posted on her Facebook page a photo of her son, who is under the age of 18, driving a vehicle as she smiled in the passenger's seat. The caption of the photo stated: "As he drives mom around and runs over 3 cats maybe people should keep there (sic) cats at there (sic) house and not on the street so proud of him Eliminating the cat population."

McCluskey said to the New Jersey Herald Tuesday that after the department received an overwhelming number of phone calls urging the woman's arrest following her post, the case was handed over to Hopatcong Animal Control Officer Gianna Dimatteo.

Dimatteo attempted an interview with Cain Monday, but Cain refused to answer questions and instead responded that she had secured an attorney, McCluskey said.

After investigating Cain's Facebook page, McCluskey said Hopatcong Police moved forward with charging her "based on one particular post" from Cain that read, "I don't give 2 (explicit) what anyone thinks and yea I am proud he ran them over keep your (explicit) pets off the street."

McCluskey said Cain's son has not been charged due to his age.

Cain's Facebook page has since been deactivated, but screenshots of her posts have been shared across Facebook hundreds of times.

News of Cain's arrest came as a surprise to First Assistant Prosecutor Gregory Mueller, who told the New Jersey Herald Wednesday that his office was not involved in the decision to charge Cain but is now conducting an investigation.

Based on his preliminary understanding, it is believed Cain and her son, who was behind the wheel, had "unintentionally" struck and killed a cat in the borough. Cain had later posted the incident on Facebook but had not reported it to police, Mueller said.

According to New Jersey animal cruelty laws, if a motorist knowingly hits, runs over or causes injury to a cat, dog, horse or cattle, they are mandated to stop, ascertain the extent of the injury and report it to the nearest police station.

After receiving angry messages from other Facebook users due to the post, Cain followed up by writing the Aug. 22 post where she alleged her son ran over three cats.

Mueller said it is his understanding that the Hopatcong police were unable to confirm that a cat was killed by Cain and have not secured any physical evidence, charging her based on the social media post alone.

No one has come forward and reported their cat was killed, he said.

According to Mueller, an individual cannot be arrested based on a social media post alone unless there is well-established evidence of the crime occurring, for example, if the crime happens in the presence of a law enforcement officer or if there is physical evidence.

Mueller said an investigation now in the hands of the prosecutor's office will determine if Cain's conduct went beyond what she alleged on Facebook.

"We are investigating to see if either a fourth-degree animal cruelty charge is appropriate or if the matter should be administratively dismissed," he said.

Additionally, detectives will also investigate any harassment Cain may have received from others.

Following Cain's Aug. 22 post, social media users were quick to label Cain a "cat killer" and urged others to visit her at her job.

Even after Cain's arrest, social media users expressed, as many called it, "disbelief" that Cain faced a single, disorderly persons offense, even going as far as signing a change.org petition to encourage police to file more charges.

Whether that will happen will now be up to detectives in the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office.

Following a bill signed by then-Gov. Chris Christie in January to disband the New Jersey Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, enforcement of the state's animal cruelty laws has fallen under the auspices of all county prosecutor's offices in the state. The bill, spearheaded by state Sen. Ray Lesniak, D-Union, passed the Assembly and state Senate with nearly unanimous support.

The bill states that the NJSPCA is a "dysfunctional organization that had failed to enforce the state's animal cruelty laws." The organization, which is not linked to the national SPCA, also failed in other ways, including neglecting to file tax returns, according to reports.

Should the charge against Cain stand, she will have to appear in Hopatcong Municipal Court, where she will face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted.

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Lori Comstock can also be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.