Suspected Miami cat killer caught, police say

[HURAKAN]

Suspected Miami cat killer caught, police say



Sun Jun 14, 2009 12:19pm EDT
MIAMI (Reuters) - A teenager has been arrested in a string of cat killings and mutilations that horrified residents of Miami's southern suburbs, police said on Sunday.

Tyler Weinman, 18, of Cutler Bay, Florida, was charged with 19 counts of animal cruelty, 19 counts of improperly disposing of an animal body and four counts of burglary.

Police have said more than two dozen pet and stray cats were killed at night in the Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay neighborhoods during the past two months. In some cases, the cats were skinned or gutted and the corpses left on the lawns or driveways of their owners.

"I sincerely hope that with this arrest, the residents will feel relieved and their cats will be safe once again," Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said. "It is expected that the vicious crimes that have plagued these communities will not be repeated."

The killings had put residents of the areas on high alert and prompted them to take their own cats and strays into their homes at night. The Humane Society and Crimestoppers both offered rewards for information leading to the killer's capture.

(Reporting by Jim Loney)

[captain east]

This is so sick and I'm glad they caught this kid. He should be jailed for a long time because he has serial killer written all over him.

[george_r_1961]

Id like to smack that smirk off his face

[Ed Mahmoud]

This is so sick and I'm glad they caught this kid. He should be jailed for a long time because he has serial killer written all over him.

Yep. Sociopath. I fear a long sentence "just" for killing family pets is unlikely, but he is a potential serial killer until probably well into his 50s.

[Category 5]

Nobody would ever agree with me but IMO a crime like this should count as murder.

Besides whos to say he wouldn't kill a human if hes capible of this? Perhaps a lengthy stay in the big house and a speech from Michael Vick will teach him something.

[Derek Ortt]

nah... give him 18 months of 16 hour work days cracking rocks in a quarry on 700 calories of food per day, and beatings for each and every mistake or unauthorized rest on the job. No medical care either (since he had no concern for the cats, we should have no concern for him.

At the end of his sentence, he'd NEVER want to commit another crime again!

[southerngale]

I'm not sure I agree with ALL that, but I definitely agree on the part about MUCH stiffer penalties for crimes. These slaps on the wrist aren't doing a dang thing! Make it where people are truly scared of the consequences and crime should lessen.

This is the kind of kid every parent prays their kids don't get mixed up with. I feel sorry for his neighbors... much more likely to be friends with this demented person.

Why would anyone even DO this? I can't imagine what goes through your mind before deciding to do something like this?

[OpieStorm]

Wow, some of you are putting cats on the same level as humans, which scares me almost as much as this kid. But anyways, this is extremely disturbing and could be a trend towards something much worse when he gets older. That's why I think psychological help with a doctor or something could probably do more help than a long sentence in jail.

[southerngale]

Wow, some of you are putting cats on the same level as humans, which scares me almost as much as this kid. But anyways, this is extremely disturbing and could be a trend towards something much worse when he gets older. That's why I think psychological help with a doctor or something could probably do more help than a long sentence in jail.

I think Category 5 is the only one who said it should count as murder. It is VERY disturbing, though. This isn't normal behavior, not even for a rebellious teenager. It's way past sick.

But this kid scares me way more than cat5. cat5 is all mouth, but harmless.

[angelwing]

I would put it on the same level as murder also! If someone can do this to a cat, what's not to say he'd do that to a human???? He needs a very severe lesson!

[Category 5]

Wow, some of you are putting cats on the same level as humans, which scares me almost as much as this kid. But anyways, this is extremely disturbing and could be a trend towards something much worse when he gets older. That's why I think psychological help with a doctor or something could probably do more help than a long sentence in jail.

I think Category 5 is the only one who said it should count as murder. It is VERY disturbing, though. This isn't normal behavior, not even for a rebellious teenager. It's way past sick.

But this kid scares me way more than cat5. cat5 is all mouth, but harmless.

My point is, if you're capable of mass murdering cats, whats to say you wont kill a human? Which I already had said in my original post which I guess Opie did not finish reading.

[southerngale]

Wow, some of you are putting cats on the same level as humans, which scares me almost as much as this kid. But anyways, this is extremely disturbing and could be a trend towards something much worse when he gets older. That's why I think psychological help with a doctor or something could probably do more help than a long sentence in jail.

I think Category 5 is the only one who said it should count as murder. It is VERY disturbing, though. This isn't normal behavior, not even for a rebellious teenager. It's way past sick.

But this kid scares me way more than cat5. cat5 is all mouth, but harmless.

My point is, if you're capable of mass murdering cats, whats to say you wont kill a human? Which I already had said in my original post which I guess Opie did not finish reading.

Yeah, I totally get it. The guy is deranged.

[Stephanie]

Wow, some of you are putting cats on the same level as humans, which scares me almost as much as this kid. But anyways, this is extremely disturbing and could be a trend towards something much worse when he gets older. That's why I think psychological help with a doctor or something could probably do more help than a long sentence in jail.

I think Category 5 is the only one who said it should count as murder. It is VERY disturbing, though. This isn't normal behavior, not even for a rebellious teenager. It's way past sick.

But this kid scares me way more than cat5. cat5 is all mouth, but harmless.

My point is, if you're capable of mass murdering cats, whats to say you wont kill a human? Which I already had said in my original post which I guess Opie did not finish reading.

There are statistics and research that suggest that this is what eventually happens - the person "graduates" to the next level - human beings.

Any pet owner would consider it murder but since our laws don't go that far to protect animals, just the fact that this sicko or ANY sicko would have such a low regard for any being's life is very disturbing. While Derek's suggestion of punishment is extreme, I was nodding along as I read it....

[george_r_1961]

nah... give him 18 months of 16 hour work days cracking rocks in a quarry on 700 calories of food per day, and beatings for each and every mistake or unauthorized rest on the job. No medical care either (since he had no concern for the cats, we should have no concern for him.

At the end of his sentence, he'd NEVER want to commit another crime again!

I agree 100 percent!

[Rainband]

Wow, some of you are putting cats on the same level as humans, which scares me almost as much as this kid. But anyways, this is extremely disturbing and could be a trend towards something much worse when he gets older. That's why I think psychological help with a doctor or something could probably do more help than a long sentence in jail.

My cats are like my kids since I don't have any kids. BTW I have more respect for my cats than I do for some people. They don't expect anything from us but love and attention food water and a clean litter box.

[Rainband]

nah... give him 18 months of 16 hour work days cracking rocks in a quarry on 700 calories of food per day, and beatings for each and every mistake or unauthorized rest on the job. No medical care either (since he had no concern for the cats, we should have no concern for him.

At the end of his sentence, he'd NEVER want to commit another crime again!

I agree

[Dionne]

For as long as I can recall......it seems like there is always someone in a community that dislikes/hates cats. I don't fully understand why? Although I suspect it has something to do with learned behavior. You just don't wake up one day and decide to go kill cats at random.

We experienced a rash of poisonings several years back. I had a suspect, but could not prove anything. Then one night the new neighbor across the street suffered a heart attack and died. The cat poisonings ended.

What a wonderful legacy....the rich old retired man across the street that poisoned cats.

[LSU2001]

While I would never intentionally kill someones pet cat, I have and will continue to shoot/kill stays (dogs and cats) that find their way to my property. I have poultry and other small livestock that these stray animals prey upon. I have no problems with pets but people need to be much more responsible with their pets and not allow them to roam free. I have a dog and he stays in the house or in our fenced yard. So any stray that wanders up will be shot if I get the chance.
JMHO,
Tim

[southerngale]

While I would never intentionally kill someones pet cat, I have and will continue to shoot/kill stays (dogs and cats) that find their way to my property. I have poultry and other small livestock that these stray animals prey upon. I have no problems with pets but people need to be much more responsible with their pets and not allow them to roam free. I have a dog and he stays in the house or in our fenced yard. So any stray that wanders up will be shot if I get the chance.
JMHO,
Tim

While I understand the need to protect your livestock, maybe sometimes they're not strays but just got out of the house. You shoot every cat or dog that wanders on your property?
Nothing personal, but I wouldn't want to be your neighbor. Our cat, an inside cat, will occasionally sneak out the back door when we're bringing in groceries or something. She's just curious and wants to look around, and if we don't catch her running out, in which case she will mind when you say, "Get back in the house," then she comes back within a couple of hours, at the longest. She may be hiding in the bushes at our house or slip into a neighbor's yard, but she's completely harmless. This has only happened a handful of times, but I can't imagine someone shooting her for walking in their yard. She doesn't realize the danger and she's a little timid.
Now our dog, lives indoors and outdoors (mostly in), and she's not contained in a fence. Before we moved, we tried that and she either dug her way out or CLIMBED the fence. She's a large black lab and it's an amazing site to see, but she wants to be free to roam and protect her family. We've tried numerous ways to keep her in a fence, but she always gets out. She mostly stays in our large yard, but has quickly made friends with the neighbors, who adore her. She's a very sweet dog. We don't live in the city limits and a lot of dogs roam the neighborhood. I can't imagine shooting one of them for simply entering my yard.

[HURAKAN]

New Details Emerge On Miami Cat Killer Teen Suspect After Arrest

Florida (ChattahBox) – New details have emerged about the young man they are calling a cat serial killer, after he allegedly brutally mutilated and killed several dozen cats. Tyler Hayes Weinman, an 18-year-old who lives in both areas where the killings occurred, splitting time between his divorced parents homes, was described as a nice, outgoing guy who was well liked. He helped out at a local swim club for youngsters as a counselor, and was even described as the ‘class clown’ by friends talking to the Miami Herald.

As a matter of fact, several of the neighbors who had animal carcasses ripped apart and thrown into their yards are convinced that the police have the wrong person. But the pattern, and the personality, fit more than they may think.

The facts being released about Weinman show a popular, outgoing, charming young man who loves animals (dogs, in particular). They also portray a number of arrests for unnamed petty crimes, and a total lack of concern for his arrest. Mug shots of Weinman show him smiling slightly at the camera, looking genuinely uncaring about the circumstances.

The picture painted is a disturbing one, with patterns common to psychopaths, in fact it looks like something close to a checklist. A charming, well liked boy, a criminal record of budding crimes, and a history of torturing animals are several elements looked at in cases of serial killers.

In fact, it is really only the number of animals that he began throwing sadistically into the neighbors yard, even going to far as to pose them for shock value, that seems out of place. Normally, these would be behaviors common to human killings, not animal. Is it possible that his aggression surpassed his need to move on to bigger prey?

While he has not yet been tried, the doubts from many that he is innocent are probably misguided. His personality seems to fit more with classic psychopaths, rather than to differ from them.

Weinman has been charged formally with 19 counts of animal cruelty, 19 counts of improper disposal of an animal body, and 4 charges of burglary. Officers claim that his social networking activities are what brought them to him, but are not releasing if any sources pointed them in Weinman’s direction. Weinman, belonged to the Facebook group “Catch the Cat Killer” and professed disgust about the killings in postings on his Facebook and MySpace pages, police said. The teenager’s lawyer, David Macey, said his client is innocent.