Authorities in Missouri say a man has been arrested on suspicion of mutilating multiple cats he is believed to have procured through classified ads placed online.
According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, 20-year-old Kaine Louzader is accused of killing a dozen or more kittens and cats posted for sale on Craigslist.
The suspect reportedly lived with his grandparents in St. Peters during the violent spree, torturing and mutilating the animals while they were still alive. Because of that factor, prosecutors say he is expected to face felony animal abuse charges instead of misdemeanor criminal counts.
Multiple animal carcasses have been reported in the neighborhood in recent months. Authorities first began to focus on Louzader following a report earlier this week of a man dumping a cat’s dead body from a bag.
Following his arrest, the suspect reportedly acknowledged that he had viewed the Craigslist site in search of cats being sold or given away. Once he returned home, he is accused of strangling, beheading, dismembering and stomping the animals before dumping them alongside nearby roads, as reported by KSDK.
Police say he attempted to explain scratches on his arms and hands by blaming an elderly woman at the hospital where he worked. As questioning continued, however, he reportedly admitted they came from one of the cats.
Additional charges are expected to be announced as the investigation continues, officials said. As of the latest reports available, he remained behind bars with bond set at $50,000.
[Featured image: Kaine Louzader, police handout]
