Woman Free After Cat Urine Mistaken For Meth

By CHRIS ECHEGARAY The Tampa Tribune

Published: Oct 9, 2007

TAMPA - Cat urine kept Cynthia Hunter in jail for 50 days.

Hunter, 38, of Lithia was arrested Aug. 15 for petty theft and possession of a controlled substance. The theft charge came after she was accused of stealing from a Brandon Wal-Mart store. The controlled substance charge came because deputies found a vial containing a yellow substance in her purse and thought it was methamphetamine. Hunter was released Thursday, after lab tests found the substance was cat urine, as Hunter had claimed all along, court records show.

Hunter told a deputy the dehydrated cat urine was for her son's science project, according to a court transcript. The deputy, though, did a field test for drugs and the substance came back positive for methamphetamine, according to court records.

In court appearances, Hunter said the cat urine was purchased at an animal clinic.

According to the transcript of Thursday's hearing, the prosecutor acknowledged Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab tests showed the substance was indeed cat urine.

Hunter pleaded guilty to petty theft and Circuit Judge Debra Behnke gave her time served.

"I still sat in jail … on an assumption," Hunter said in court. "And I mean that's not fair either."

The prosecutor said that there are a variety of chemical compounds in methamphetamine and doesn't know how the presumptive test was positive.

Reporter Chris Echegaray can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or cechegaray@tampatrib.com.