Superman
The Man Of Steel (Is #1)
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2001
- Messages
- 22,578
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 31
Judge allows supervised release for man charged in cat killings
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A judge in Miami allowed the supervised release of a man charged with 19 counts of animal cruelty Wednesday, saying a psychiatric evaluation showed he is competent and not a danger to himself or others.
Tyler Hayes Weinman, 18, also is charged with 19 counts of improper disposal of dead animals and four counts of burglary linked to a monthlong killing spree of pet cats in the Miami area, police said.
Weinman posted bond, but will be placed under house arrest and monitored with an electronic ankle bracelet, Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge John Thornton ordered. He is also required to undergo psychiatric counseling twice a week. He was released Wednesday afternoon.
The judge set an arraignment date of July 6 for Weinman, who said nothing in court.
Weinman lives in Cutler Bay and has lived with his parents in Palmetto Bay, the two towns where police said 19 cats were mutilated and killed.
Pet owners and police began discovering disfigured cats May 13. One pet owner, Donna Gleason, told CNN that her family cat, Tommy, was "partially skinned" and left dead in her yard.
Police said 34 cats have been found dead in the towns, but only 19 mutilated cats could be linked to a serial killer. Police confirmed that some of the cats were killed by dogs, said Maj. Julie Miller of Cutler Bay police.
"He's an innocent man, there's no evidence," said Weinman's attorney, Michael Walsh. "When the case starts to unfold, you'll see."
Investigators say that Weinman may have been part of a ring that committed the crimes, leaving the possibility of future arrests.
"This is an ongoing investigation. We're looking to see if any other individuals are involved," said Terry Chavez, spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade state attorney.
Weinman, who works odd jobs but spends most of his time at home and unemployed, had been a person of interest for several weeks, Miller said. He was arrested Saturday at a party in Miami.
He could face a maximum of 158 years in state prison if convicted on all counts, Chavez said.
Weinman's father, Douglas Weinman, defended his son after the hearing.
"We are cat owners ourselves. We love our pets," he said. "We certainly understand the grief that other cat owners are going through, and we sympathize with them, but it is not our son."
The mayor of Cutler Bay referred to the string of feline terror attacks as a "plague in South Miami-Dade."
"The cruelty of these crimes were horrific for the animal victims, but there were many human victims as well," said Mayor Paul Vrooman. "Let's not forget the children and the families who found their pets mutilated. These awful scenes inflicted a human toll."
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/17/florida.cat.killings/index.html?eref=rss_crime
Can you say future Serial Killer?
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A judge in Miami allowed the supervised release of a man charged with 19 counts of animal cruelty Wednesday, saying a psychiatric evaluation showed he is competent and not a danger to himself or others.
Tyler Hayes Weinman, 18, also is charged with 19 counts of improper disposal of dead animals and four counts of burglary linked to a monthlong killing spree of pet cats in the Miami area, police said.
Weinman posted bond, but will be placed under house arrest and monitored with an electronic ankle bracelet, Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge John Thornton ordered. He is also required to undergo psychiatric counseling twice a week. He was released Wednesday afternoon.
The judge set an arraignment date of July 6 for Weinman, who said nothing in court.
Weinman lives in Cutler Bay and has lived with his parents in Palmetto Bay, the two towns where police said 19 cats were mutilated and killed.
Pet owners and police began discovering disfigured cats May 13. One pet owner, Donna Gleason, told CNN that her family cat, Tommy, was "partially skinned" and left dead in her yard.
Police said 34 cats have been found dead in the towns, but only 19 mutilated cats could be linked to a serial killer. Police confirmed that some of the cats were killed by dogs, said Maj. Julie Miller of Cutler Bay police.
"He's an innocent man, there's no evidence," said Weinman's attorney, Michael Walsh. "When the case starts to unfold, you'll see."
Investigators say that Weinman may have been part of a ring that committed the crimes, leaving the possibility of future arrests.
"This is an ongoing investigation. We're looking to see if any other individuals are involved," said Terry Chavez, spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade state attorney.
Weinman, who works odd jobs but spends most of his time at home and unemployed, had been a person of interest for several weeks, Miller said. He was arrested Saturday at a party in Miami.
He could face a maximum of 158 years in state prison if convicted on all counts, Chavez said.
Weinman's father, Douglas Weinman, defended his son after the hearing.
"We are cat owners ourselves. We love our pets," he said. "We certainly understand the grief that other cat owners are going through, and we sympathize with them, but it is not our son."
The mayor of Cutler Bay referred to the string of feline terror attacks as a "plague in South Miami-Dade."
"The cruelty of these crimes were horrific for the animal victims, but there were many human victims as well," said Mayor Paul Vrooman. "Let's not forget the children and the families who found their pets mutilated. These awful scenes inflicted a human toll."
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/17/florida.cat.killings/index.html?eref=rss_crime
Can you say future Serial Killer?
