A former Primera city boss will not go to prison for shooting his neighbor's cat. He has to write his neighbor a letter of apology.

Luis Alberto Perez was sentenced on Monday, October 19. Court records show this. He is the former public works director for the city of Primera. He pleaded guilty to two charges, the records show. One was deadly conduct. The other was cruelty to a non-livestock animal. That charge covers hurting a pet or any animal that is not farm stock.

A judge first gave Perez eight years in prison. Then the prison term was suspended. That means he stays out of prison for now. Instead, he got eight years of probation. Probation means he has to follow rules. If he breaks them, a judge can order him to serve the prison time.

The court records list the rules. Perez must take random drug tests. He must do work for the community. He must send the apology letter.

What the complaint says

Perez was arrested on May 25, 2025. A man in La Feria had reported that his neighbor shot his cat.

A deputy from the Cameron County Sheriff's Office went to the home. The neighbor gave the deputy a video. The criminal complaint describes the video. It says Perez walks out of his house with a shotgun. He points it in the direction of an occupied house and fires. The cat died.

The complaint says the neighbor confronted Perez. It says Perez admitted he shot the cat.

The complaint also has Perez's own account. He told the deputy he was barbecuing in his backyard. He said he saw cats in his trash can. He said he got his shotgun and fired as the cats ran off.

Why deadly conduct

The complaint ties the deadly conduct charge to the people in that house, not to the cat. It says Perez put them in danger of serious injury. Deadly conduct means putting people in that kind of danger.

Perez was released on a $30,000 bond in 2025. The City of Primera said at the time that it was looking into the matter on its own. It said it would not comment on personnel issues or claims that were not verified.

What happens next

Perez now starts eight years of probation. If he follows every rule, he does not go to prison. The letter of apology is part of that deal.