May 18, 2009 5:52 pm US/Eastern
Cat Killer Strikes In 2nd South Florida Community
Residents say at least 23 cats have been killed
PALMETTO BAY (CBS4) ―
CBS4 News has learned the vicious slaughter of mostly older cats is no longer limited to the Whispering Pines section of Cutler Bay. We've discovered that six additional cats have been mutilated in Palmetto Bay.
One case involved a homeowner who lived four miles away from another resident whose cat was killed. Homeowners have been told by authorities that they now are mostly looking for an adult who drives a car instead of a teenager or teenagers who are on foot.
Miami-Dade Police told
CBS4 News that their detectives and the town of Cutler Bay and the village of Palmetto Bay are working together. Their official count of dead cats is 13 in Cutler Bay and one in Palmetto Bay. But cat owners and residents have said they are certain that at least 18 cats have been slaughtered in recent weeks in Cutler Bay and that at least six cats have been butchered in Palmetto Bay.
Alicia Glatzer of Palmetto Bay says she discovered her precious cat Sarah lying in her front yard two Saturdays ago near S.W. 89th Avenue and 152nd Street.
"What I discovered was my cat Sarah on the ground," Glatzer said. "She was mutilated. She was skinned. This was devastating. It was upsetting. She was a doll. She was a wonderful cat. It hurts. I'd like to see whatever happened to the cats happen to him. He is a sick individual. He needs to be caught."
Not far from Glatzer, near S.W. 93rd Avenue and 165th Street in Palmetto Bay, two other families recently lost a total of five cats; they were also mutilated.
"I had three cats," one resident who did not want to be identified said. "One had his face ripped open. The other had his spine broken. This person has got be stopped."
Owners are so upset that they are discussing ways to put together a reward fund and if groups, including the local humane societies and P.E.T.A., would be willing to chip in to that fund.
Barbara Wiesinger of Cutler Bay recently found her beloved 15-year-old cat named Cami near her home. Cami had been mutilated, as were five other cats she also discovered by a lake near her home on Ridgeland Drive, not far from S.W. 87th Avenue and 200th Street. Realtor Mike Schuler continues to warn homeowners about this situation.
"It's horrible, what has happened to these animals," Wiesinger said. "The ramifications are immense. I mean, where do we go from here?"
Pet owners have expressed concerns about a relationship between animal abuse and serial killers.
And they're not alone; veteran police detectives have written
CBS4 to express their concerns. Thomas Carney, Director of Police Services for the North Miami Beach Police dept., wrote, "A couple of facts to consider is that those individuals that abuse animals are five times more likely to abuse women. Almost all serial killers have a history of animal abuse and mutilation. Most people on death row for murder have admitted to abusing animals."
"What is that person going to turn to next? Is it going to be people?" asked Barbara Mesa, whose 13-year-old cat Caspar was mutilated in Cutler Bay.
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