A Seattle woman has accused the US Navy’s Blue Angels of ‘terrorizing’ her elderly cat before its death, then violating her rights after they blocked her on social media for complaining, according to a new lawsuit.
Lauren Ann Lombardi’s 14-year-old cat Layla died on August 11 after suffering from congestive heart disease, which the cat mom claims was worsened by noise from the Blue Angels.
‘Layla’s final days on Earth were marred by sadistic suffering – cowering in terror beneath furniture while her ailing heart struggled against the Blue Angels’ relentless noise pollution,’ her federal lawsuit said.
Lombardi’s lawsuit filed in the Western District Court of Washington on Monday alleged that one year before Layla’s death, she messaged the Blue Angels on Instagram to complain about the sound, but was blocked by their account.
The lawsuit claims, ‘Every August, a squadron of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets multirole fighter aircraft descend upon the Puget Sound with the subtlety of a military occupation, conducting screeching low altitude flights with their twin jet engines reaching speeds of over 700 mph.’
In August 2023, one year before Layla’s passing, Lombardi sent the Blue Angles explicit messages which stated: ‘Stop with your f*****g b******t you are terrorizing my cat and all the other animals and wildlife. F**k off’ and ‘Nobody gives a f**k about your stupid little planes.’
A few days later, she attempted to send them another message calling them ‘cowards,’ but it was never delivered ‘due to the blocking,’ the lawsuit claims.
‘An American citizen exercised her Constitutional right to criticize her government’s role in her daughter’s suffering,’ the filing said.
Lauren Ann Lombardi’s 14-year-old cat Layla (pictured) died on August 11 after suffering from congestive heart disease, which she says was worsened by the noise from the Blue Angels
Lombardi had messaged the Blue Angels in Instagram to complain about the noise a year before, but says she was blocked by them
The heartbroken cat mom (pictured) said she filed the lawsuit so the Blue Angels will unblock her and she is willing to do whatever it takes because she is a ‘very spiteful, vengeful person’
‘In response, a cadre of emotionally fragile snowflakes masquerading as naval officers chose the coward’s path: they silenced this citizen’s speech, violated their oath to the Constitution, and brought disgrace upon the uniform they claim to honor.’
In the summer of 2024, Layla’s heart condition worsened and Lombardi said that despite her efforts to block the noise, the Blue Angels’ ‘sonic barrage’ tortured her cat in her final days.
‘Even through the narcotic fog of sedation and her weakened state, Layla’s primitive limbic system overruled her medication and she fled in primal panic beneath furniture, her labored breathing escalating to clinically dangerous levels,’ the lawsuit said.
‘Whatever bandwidth Layla’s walnut-sized brain could previously gorge upon had been narrowed to a single overwhelming frequency: pure debilitating terror.’
Lombardi is seeking to have the Blue Angels unblock her account and told KIRO Newsradio she is willing to do whatever it takes.
‘They will never be able to wait me out,’ she said. ‘I’m a very spiteful, vengeful person. I have nothing but time on my hands.’
The lawsuit also states that she is seeking to have her attorney fees covered and ‘any additional relief as may be just and proper.’
Notably, her attorney is also her husband, Nacim Bouchtia, who is listed as Layla’s cat father in her obituary.
Lombardi claims the Blue Angels’ ‘sonic barrage’ tortured her cat in her final days
The Blue Angels next show in Seattle is scheduled for August 2 and August 3 at the Boeing Seafair Air Show
‘[The Blue Angels] continued blocking prevented her from expressing her grief and renewed criticism of the government actions that contributed to her beloved companion’s death and suffering, compounding her Constitutional injury during a time when her need for expressive speech was most relevant,’ the lawsuit said.
‘A year later, when that same vulnerable creature died after enduring yet another sonic assault during her final days on Earth, the Navy’s Constitutional betrayal compounded the tragedy — an American remained silenced, unable to voice her grief or otherwise hold her government accountable for its role in her family’s suffering.’
The Blue Angels next show in Seattle is scheduled for August 2 and August 3 at the Boeing Seafair Air Show, according to their website.
On social media, many locals were sympathetic to Lombardi and agreed the noise is less than desirable, but felt the lawsuit was taking it too far.
In the summer of 2024, Layla’s heart condition worsened and Lombardi said she tried her best to block the noise
‘It’s not the Blue Angels, I’m sorry about your cat but I think it had something going on prior to the show,’ one person said.
‘I certainly can understand a cat having panic attacks from the noise. I have a cat that is very stressed by fireworks. I think a lawsuit is ridiculous though,’ said another.
‘I’m a cat person. I feel bad for her cat… but this is… a bit much,’ said a third.
DailyMail.com contacted Lombardi’s lawyer, the Blue Angels and the US Navy for comment.
