WARNING: This story contains disturbing details about the death of an animal.

A 16-year-old has been charged with killing or injuring animals after Winnipeg police allege the youth confined a cat inside a plastic bag before killing it.

Police say they were called with a report of a youth injuring a cat with a knife around 9:20 p.m. Monday.

When general patrol officers responded to the area of Main Street between Alexander and Higgins avenues, they found the youth holding a knife with a dead cat nearby, police allege.

Officers took the teen into custody and learned the youth had gone to the area with a cat confined inside a plastic bag. The cat was believed to be alive at the time, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release Tuesday morning.

The teen then removed the cat from a bag and assaulted it with a knife, killing it, the release said.

The youth, who was detained in custody, has been charged with killing or injuring animals, causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and possession of a weapon.

They were also charged with three counts of failing to comply with a sentence and four counts of failing to comply with conditions of a release order, police said.