Two men trying to make a gruesome point cut the front paws off a white rabbit on the morning and of Feb 23 and left it to bleed to death on a woman's West Side doorstep, according to Buffalo police and officials from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Peter Colon, 40, and Luis Lopez, 31, both of Prospect Avenue were charged Feb 24 with felony aggravated cruelty and harassment. They were being held in Erie County Holding Center without bail pending arraignment Feb 25 in City Court.
Shortly after 8 a.m., the Seventh Street woman told police she saw two men come up to her home and leave the rabbit on her back steps. The rabbit was still alive but had no front paws and was bleeding profusely, according to police reports. It died a short time later.
The paws had been cut off with a snipping tool or a hatchet in an act that probably involved two people, said Barbara Carr, executive director of the Erie County SPCA.
"We're paying very, very close attention to this case," Carr said. "It's not just about a rabbit being tortured. This is an extreme act of violence."
Authorities say they believe family problems led to the episode. Police said they are looking into the possibility the incident might have been a ritualistic killing designed to cause misfortune to the recipient of the animal.
Det. Patrick O'Rourke of the Buffalo Police: "We believe it was a religious ritual used in Santeria to put a hex on an individual at that address."
Local news spoke with a man at the home where the rabbit was found. He didn't want to go on camera, but says he believes his sister's ex-husband left the rabbit on her step to hex her.
He says in the Santeria religion, cutting off the front legs of an animal works as a hex to paralyze someone or cause them to be in a terrible car accident.
Still, SPCA officials don't see felony charges in an animal cruelty case very often. The aggravated cruelty charge is reserved for the most egregious cases.
"You have to prove there was intent and depraved indifference to the animal, and the animal has to be killed or seriously injured," Browning said. "It's meant for exactly this kind of violent act." Case UpdatesThe Honorable Judge Craig D. Hannah ruled that the felony animal cruelty case is, as of today, dismissed from Buffalo City Court and moved to an Erie County Court Grand Jury. He looked directly at the defendants, when he commented to them that, "This case is in no way over; don't think that this is done." Animal-lovers, SPCA officials, and representatives of the Buffalo Police working on the case were present in the court room at the time of the ruling.
Peter Colon, 40, of Prospect Avenue in Buffalo, and Luis Lopez, 31, also of Prospect Avenue, were arrested by Buffalo Police last week and charged with felony cruelty to animals and harassment. SPCA Senior Investigating Agent Michael Armatys is assisting Buffalo Police in the investigation of the animal cruelty charges, a death deemed "haunting" by SPCA officials. | Source: SPCA of Erie County - March 3, 2006
Update posted on Mar 18, 2006 - 3:51PM |
References« Back to Search Results Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges. For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.
|
