VISTA, Calif. -- A 69-year-old man accused of trying to drown a kitten at Moonlight Beach was scheduled to appear in a Vista courtroom Tuesday to stand trial on an animal cruelty charge.

Hubert Hoffman is charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty in connection with an incident that occurred at the Encinitas beach on Sept. 3.

Hoffman allegedly pushed a kitten under the water and held it down with a piece of cloth, prompting the kitten to scratch away at the defendant's arm.

He reportedly told onlookers who tried to intervene, "She loves to swim; mind your own business."

Someone called 911 as a crowd gathered around Hoffman, preventing him from leaving until sheriff's deputies arrived and took him into custody, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

"His story was that he was just trying to give his cat a bath," Encinitas lifeguard captain Larry Giles told the newspaper.

A Web site was created to advocate for the kitten, www.savemoonlightkitten.com. The site encouraged residents to ask the San Diego County District Attorney's Office to prosecute Hoffman.