An L.A. City Firefighter and his mom — yes, his elderly mommy — have been charged for allegedly attacking a neighborhood cat lady, the L.A. County District Attorney's office announced today.

Really.

Ian Justin Eulian, 37, is an engineer at the LAFD, prosecutors say. He and his mother, Lonieta Antonietta Fontaine, 70, allegedly went after said cat lady in the West Adams neighborhood earlier this month:

According to a D.A.'s statement the duo faced …

… one felony count of battery with serious bodily injury and one felony count of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury. Eulian also was charged with an enhancement for causing great bodily harm.

What happened?

Prosecutors say the firefighter, off-duty at the time, started an argument with the woman, known to care for stray cats in the neighborhood, about 12:20 a.m. Sept. 14 as she sat in her parked car in the 2500 block of West View Street.


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Apparently afraid, the 47-year-old victim threw cat kibble at the man, prompting him to allegedly punch her, according to the D.A.'s office. This is what prosecutors claim happened next:

Fontaine approached the car and allegedly slapped the victim several times. Eulian then pulled the victim out of her car and allegedly punched the victim once or twice more as she fell to the ground motionless.

After the victim regained consciousness, Eulian and Fontaine helped the victim back into her car and drove the woman to her home. They told the victim that she had tripped and hit her face on the car. The incident was caught on surveillance cameras located on a nearby building.

Oops.

According to the office, Eulian could face seven years behind bars if he's successfully prosecuted; mommy could see four years. They're due in court Oct. 17 and 18, respectively.

The moral of the story here, regardless of guilt or innocence: You're probably better off leaving cat ladies alone.

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