Suspected serial cat abuser to be tried
Animal abuse cases have gotten a lot of attention in Baltimore lately, starting with the pit bull named Phoenix who was doused with gasoline and badly burned. Reporter Jill Rosen (author of the unleashed pet blog) writes about another horrific case (full story here):
Ethan Phillip Weibman (mug shot at left from Baltimore Police Department) went to the Maryland SPCA and from the dozens of cats, police say he chose a short-haired one named Lucy to adopt. He returned to the shelter two days later with the cat — dead, according to authorities. And, they said, he wanted another one.
Shelter officials refused and later, when they determined the cat died from a traumatic blast wound to the chest that left her unable to breathe, and suffered bruising on her head, Weibman was charged in the animal’s death.
The 20-year-old, a short-time Baltimore resident originally from an affluent hamlet in Westchester, N.Y., is scheduled to go on trial this fall on charges of animal cruelty resulting in death, mutilating an animal and animal cruelty.
Baltimore police also charged him with additional criminal counts related to beating another cat — two weeks after authorities say he had brought Lucy’s body back to the SPCA. Court documents say Weibman is a suspect in the deaths of five more cats and kittens.
Categories: Courts and the justice system
Comments
What a terrible piece of human garbage. He's clearly sick and not nearly as smart as he thinks he is. The thought of him being in Baltimore City prison makes me smile. :-)
Posted by: KGM801 | August 3, 2011 2:10 PM
Any punishment he receives will not be enough. Anyone who abuses/kills animals, children, or the elderly is the lowest form of scum.
Posted by: avalon | August 4, 2011 8:46 AM
i cant imagine the suffering those poor cats endured. i always ask myself why does God allow these people to thrive and prosper and harm the innocent. he will get off with a slap on the wrist and probably use other people to get cats from other shelter so he can kill them as well. they should lock up his girlfriend and his mother as well. I hate them just for lying
Posted by: rr | August 4, 2011 1:19 PM
I find it telling (or at least interesting) that this story has garnered three comments (expressing disgust for the perp and sympathy for the cats), while several other recent stories involving violence (or potential violence) against human beings (including a ninety-one-year-old great-grandmother and an innocent commuter) have gone without comment. I understand that we may have grown insensitive to the violence in our community, but why do assaults on animals merit more of our concern than do crimes against people?
Posted by: BankStreet | August 4, 2011 3:12 PM
@BankStreet - Just because someone comments on this entry and not on others does not mean they care any more or less. You, yourself commented here, does that mean you care less about the elderly or "innocent commuters"? I think not. I care about humans AND animals. However, animals cannot speak for themselves, so we need to speak for them. (BTW, perhaps you didn't notice that my post referenced animals, children and the elderly!0
Posted by: avalon | August 4, 2011 6:10 PM
It isn't "telling" that there happen to be comments about animals being abused - it doesn't mean animals merit more concern. What comments did you leave regarding the 91 yo great grandmother "bankstreet"? Individuals who speak up for animals are weary of being accused of not caring enough about humans. Animals have NO VOICE, no money and they don't vote, they are at the mercy of humans. Speaking up for animals is a cause that some of taken on because of those reasons - period. It doesn't mean humans are any less important. Making the earth a better place takes all kinds of people and what they are passioante about. Why don't you go volunteer at a homeless shelter instead of spending time saying "assaults on animals merit more concern" - it's completely ludicrious.
Posted by: Michelle | August 5, 2011 12:59 AM
To BankStreet:
How do you think abusers of humans start out? They abuse animals plain and simple.
Why do you think the two aren't related? Every study shows that those who kill other humans start out torturing animals.
This story is IMPORTANT! If he will torture an animal think what he would do to a 90 year old or a 20 year old or a child. Etc. You might want to do some research on animal abusers and serial killers.
Posted by: Chris | August 6, 2011 3:28 AM