(TruthAndLiberty.com) – A young man from Chicago, 22 years old, surrendered to the authorities on Monday. He is suspected of perpetrating severe acts of cruelty resulting in the deaths of at least four felines, as per police statements and local news sources.
The individual, identified as Thomas Martel, is now facing charges that include four instances of aggravated animal cruelty and two instances of torturing animals, as stated by the Chicago police department.
It is alleged that Martel cruelly ended the lives of three cats under his care through methods such as suffocation, mutilation, and drowning. These details are part of an arrest report that FOX 32 had access to.
Interestingly, each of the kittens allegedly victimized by Martel bore the name Shelly. Whenever Martel acquired a new kitten, it would also receive the same name, local media outlets disclosed.
During Martel’s bail hearing on Tuesday, Judge Kelly McCarthy noted a discernable pattern in his actions. “We observe a cycle of acquiring a new animal, killing it, then obtaining another one to replace it. Regrettably, this cycle was able to continue for a substantial duration, leading to the loss of many animal lives,” she said, as reported by CWB.
Reports indicate that Chicago law enforcement found a bag containing three kittens in Martel’s residence located in Wicker Park. Martel’s girlfriend, who had filed an animal cruelty complaint against him with the local police department, alleged that Martel had microwaved the kittens before disposing of them in a plastic bag.
Martel’s girlfriend reportedly came to know of his abusive behavior when someone sent her a video showing Martel throwing a pillowcase into Lake Michigan, which supposedly contained his cat, Shelly.
On one occasion, Martel invited his girlfriend over to his apartment to meet his new kitten, also named Shelly, on May 26. On a visit to the apartment on June 6, she allegedly saw Martel, under the influence of alcohol and narcotics, drowning the kitten.
On the evening when his girlfriend contacted the police, Martel had allegedly confessed to microwaving three kittens and placing them in a plastic bag, which he then stowed away in a cabinet. His girlfriend reported a pungent smell originating from his kitchen.
Prosecutors have shared that Martel recently confessed to his girlfriend that he found pleasure in killing cats, a trait he claims to have exhibited since the age of 8, according to CWB Chicago.
Judge McCarthy has set the bail for Martel at $7,500.
The arrest report notes that Martel had significant mental health challenges and was on prescribed medication during the time of his arrest.
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