Neighbor called serial cat killer

HURON TWP. — A woman contends her neighbor has killed 30 cats, the latest feline victim being her own pet. A report from the Erie County sheriff details the grizzly scene that unfolded in the 3700 block of Perkins Avenue on Thursday evening. Deputies met with Brooke Eavanson, who told them she witnessed her neighbor trap and shoot a cat. Eavanson feared it was her 2-year-old Calico mix, Cheuy, an indoor/outdoor cat that hadn't come home for a few days. When deputies questioned the neighbor, he told them he had issues with animals getting into his garage and causing a mess. The man admitted to trapping and shooting a cat with his .22 caliber gun. The cat was confirmed to be Cheuy. "There was no reason for it. It was sick," Eavanson said. "He has been doing this to our whole family my whole life." Eavanson said the man has likely trapped and killed 30 cats from around the neighborhood. The man is in a civil dispute with Eavanson and her family over a standing lease agreement on the property, an agreement that Eavanson said was voided after her grandmother died. Deputies were called back to the houses on Saturday afternoon after the neighbors allegedly argued over the lease and the cat. The man told deputies he did not want them back on his property. Eavanson said the incident on Thursday has given her the evidence to show the man has been harassing her family for years. The man allegedly trapped Cheuy behind the house and carried the caged animal to the front yard, Eavanson said. Eavanson saw the man shoot Cheuy from the front window. "I ran out there immediately," Eavanson said. "He said he did it 'to teach the other cats a lesson.'" Evanson said the gunshot was not fatal, and Cheuy suffered for approximately 5 minutes before he died. "I don't know if it was to send a message," Eavanson said. "It was like the horse head in the mafia movies." Eavanson said the man argued with officers over giving Cheuy's body back to Eavanson. The man was charged with injuring animals, a second-degree misdemeanor, according to the report. Eavanson said she will testify if the case comes to trial.