By: Amanda Hart
There is a cat serial killer on the loose in the loop. Since 2024, multiple cats have been mutilated and left for the owners to find in the Heights, Montrose, and River Oaks neighborhoods. The most recent attack was this past June and occurred in the neighborhood of Lazybrook in the Heights. The victim’s family cat was cut in half and part of the cat was positioned in front of their home in the street and the other half was located ten days later a few blocks away. The police acknowledged that the cat was mutilated away from the home and returned at some point because no blood was found at the scene. In all cases, the cat was mutilated in some way away from the home and then left in plain sight for the owner or neighbors to find. In one case, the cat was left beheaded in a neighborhood baseball field in Timbergrove. It stands to reason that the seven cases that have been reported might just be a handful of the cats who have met their demise in this gruesome way. Because of the way the animals are destroyed, many owners might have just assumed that their sweet pets were maimed by another animal.
I have watched enough Law and Order to know that this is more than likely a serial killer in training. Not only is there an urgency to protect our neighborhood animals, but also our fellow neighbors as well. It’s only a matter of time before this sicko escalates to dogs or people. Dr. Oscar Bukstein, a psychiatrist and Director of Child and Adolescent services at the UT Health Sciences Center told KHOU, “It’s one of the best ways to predict future antisocial behavior, such as aggression, criminal behavior, delinquent behavior and violence against people. It takes it a few steps further. In other words, it’s not just an impulsive act,” Bukstein said. “You have to think about people actually going out and looking for animals to harm and having this thought out. Aggression is one thing. Torture is another.”
The police are at a dead end without any evidence or eyewitnesses. The Houston Police Department has turned to Crime Stoppers of Houston in hopes of solving this disturbing case. Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for any information in this case that leads to an arrest. You can contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477). Or call HPD Sergeant Virginia Brasher at 713-308-3140 with any leads. Don’t let your cats out at night and be on the lookout for any strange behavior going on in our neighborhoods. We need to protect our little feline friends and get this sick fuck off the streets. Until then, watch your cat’s back.
