Cat shot with bow and arrow
Philomath, OR (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Aug 24, 2005
County: Benton
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Andrew Scott Rietmann
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Amanda Rhoads found out her pet had been killed with a bow and arrow. Her mother's neighbor in Philomath, Andrew Rietmann, 20, 209 N. Ninth St., confessed to shooting the animal on Aug. 24. He was cited on suspicion of first-degree animal abuse a few days later.
Rietmann told police he didn't like the cat in his yard, so he shot at it to scare it away.
"Andrew said he never thought he would hit it. He claimed he wasn't a good shot … Andrew said he is very sorry for killing the cat," Philomath Police Officer Ryan Keys wrote in a police report.
According to the police report, Karla Rhoads came home about 9 p.m. Aug. 24, and found Fiona in her garage, with an arrow in the cat's chest.
"She was very much alive, and very much in pain," Karla Rhoads said. The cat was stuck between the hot water tank and the furnace, and Karla Rhoads called her brother, who cut the arrow so the cat could be removed.
Although Fiona was rushed to the veterinarian, the cat died several hours later.
During an investigation the following day, officer Keys saw an archery target in Rietmann's yard, as well as a graphite arrow similar to the arrow used to shoot the cat.
Rietmann cooperated with police when they contacted him on Aug 24. He was cited, and his bow and arrows were seized as evidence.
First-degree animal abuse is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum of one-year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Rietmann's case will be handled in Philomath Municipal Court.
Case UpdatesAlthough the Benton County District Attorney's Office intended to prosecute a Philomath man accused of killing his neighbor's cat for a felony, a grand jury has indicted the man on two counts of misdemeanor animal abuse.
The maximum penalty Andrew Scott Rietmann, 20, could face on each count of first-degree animal abuse is one year in jail and a $6,250 fine.
Rietmann allegedly shot and killed his neighbor's cat with a bow and arrow on Aug. 24, but reportedly told police that he did not think he would actually hit it.
The Benton County grand jury considered a charge of aggravated animal abuse against Rietmann, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $125,000 fine.
To indict a person for aggravated animal abuse, a grand jury must determine that the accused maliciously killed the animal, said Deputy District Attorney Karen Stanley.
"Animal abuse cases are difficult because different people have different standards on how to treat animals," Stanley said.
District Attorney Scott Heiser said he was disappointed with the grand jury's decision not to charge Rietmann with felony aggravated animal abuse.
"While I understand how they reached their conclusion, I was disappointed by it," Heiser said. "I disagree with the grand jury's findings, but we have to respect it and honor it, and we will."
Rietmann is scheduled to appear in Benton County Circuit Court at 9 a.m. Nov. 10 to be arraigned. | Source: Gazette-Times - Oct 11, 2005
Update posted on Oct 12, 2005 - 8:26AM |
Rietmann, who allegedly shot his neighbor's cat with a bow and arrow will be charged with a felony, Benton County Officials said.
"There are particular crimes in our community that are particularly troubling to the community at large," said Benton County District Attorney Scott Heiser. "As a consequence, they become a priority for our office."
Andrew Rietmann, 20, of Philomath, was charged with first-degree animal abuse, a misdemeanor in Philomath Municipal Court.
But after reading about the case in the paper, Heiser said he called the city attorney's office to request that the case be transferred to the Benton County Circuit Court. A grand jury will review the case and decide whether Rietmann should face a charge of aggravated animal abuse which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $125,000 fine, Heiser said.
Rietmann, who confessed to the bow-and-arrow shooting, told police he didn't like the cat in his yard, so he shot at it to scare it away, not intending to kill it. | Source: News-Review - Sept 16, 2005
Update posted on Sep 19, 2005 - 10:04AM |
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