Cats thrown from car at 70 mph
Lorain, OH (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2005
County: Lorain
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Derik Wilhelm
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
A part-time Castalia police officer has been charged with throwing two kittens out the window of his car while heading toward Lorain at 70 mph.
Derik Wilhelm, 26, Sandusky, who also is a part-time Erie MetroParks ranger, could face an additional charge of cruelty to animals in the city of Lorain, where he is accused of throwing another kitten into oncoming traffic, according to Capt. Paul Sigsworth with the Erie County Sheriff's office.
One kitten, found without serious injuries, was picked up by a passing motorist in Lorain and brought to a nearby veterinary clinic, Sigsworth said.
Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers searched a stretch of Ohio 2 for kittens Tuesday but did not locate any.
Sigsworth said the sheriff's office received a call late Tuesday morning from a driver heading east on Ohio 2, who reported seeing the driver in front of them throw two kittens out the window and into the median near the Huron River Bridge.
The call initially was turned over to the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Sandusky post, but they had no troopers near the scene, Sigsworth said. About 30-45 minutes later, the same witness called back and said the car had stopped at a business in the city of Lorain.
The car left before a Lorain police cruiser could get there, however, and the witness called back soon after to report he had seen the driver throw another kitten out his window on Tower Boulevard in Lorain, Sigsworth stated.
A Lorain officer allegedly stopped the car off Tower Boulevard and identified the driver and sole occupant of the suspect vehicle as Wilhelm, Sigsworth stated. Statements also were taken from witnesses in the vehicle that had followed and reported the driver.
Wilhelm is charged with two counts of cruelty to animals and abandoning animals, both second-degree misdemeanors, following an interview with deputies at the Erie County Sheriff's office.
Wilhelm is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges in Huron Municipal Court.
If convicted, Wilhelm could face a maximum of 90 days in jail and $750 in fines on each charge.
Erie MetroParks officials stated Wilhelm was hired as a part-time ranger about six months ago. Castalia police Chief Ken Majoy statedWednesday he had just learned of the charges against Wilhelm, and that no departmental action would be taken until his court case is closed.
To contact the prosecutor about this case, asking for vigorous prosecution:
The Honorable Lee McDermond Jr.
Prosecutor, Huron Municipal Court
417 Main St., P.O. Box 468
Huron, OH 44839
Castalia Village Police Department
126 Main Street, Castalia, OH 44824
(419) 684-5644
Case UpdatesA Lorain Municipal Court jury found Derik Wilhelm, 26, of Sandusky, innocent on Tuesday. He still faces two charges in Huron, where a couple say they saw him throw the first two kittens out of a car window.
Wilhelm is an officer in the village of Castalia, about 50 miles east of Toledo, and a ranger for Erie MetroParks. He is on leave from both positions.
Robert and Sue Ann Smith of Sandusky said they followed Wilhelm to Lorain after seeing him throw two kittens from his car while traveling on state Route 2 in Huron on May 17.
The couple said Wilhelm then tossed a kitten out of his window after leaving a barber shop in Lorain, and they called authorities.
Authorities couldn't find any kittens at the first location. They found one kitten in Lorain and treated it for minor injuries.
A member of the jury that acquitted Wilhelm said jurors believed the Smiths' testimony.
"But the times were all wrong _ the time the cat was rescued and the times when the first call was made, it all seemed wrong," said juror Jose Ortiz.
Wilhelm's lawyer, K. Ron Bailey, argued the couple made up the story to attract attention. Bailey also told jurors that police found no evidence of a cat in Wilhelm's car. | Source: Ohio News Network - Sept 28, 2005
Update posted on Sep 29, 2005 - 11:09PM |
| Erie County Sheriff's deputies have also charged Wilhelm with two counts of animal cruelty and two counts of abandoning animals. | Source: Morning Journal - May 20, 2005
Update posted on May 20, 2005 - 5:15PM |
References« OH State Animal Cruelty Map
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