Thomas Martel, Wicker Park, Chicago man confesses to torturing and killing six kittens, including three by microwave amid mental health woes. Enjoyed killing cats since as a young child.
A Chicago man accused of killing and torturing several cats in his apartment surrendered himself to police on Monday.
Thomas William Martel of Wicker Park was charged with two felony counts of animal torture and four felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, according to the Chicago Police Department.
Police said Martel, 22, allegedly killed four tabby cats, all named Shelly or Shelby, intentionally.
checked ‘yes’ for serious mental health problems
The suspect walked into the 14th District Police station with his lawyer Monday morning to turn himself in relating to the charged offenses, ABC7Chicago reported.
According to police reports, the 22 year old killed the four cats across a period of nearly three weeks, from June 4 to June 23.
Police said Martel allegedly tortured and killed two cats by drowning and squeezing them. He killed a third cat by mutilation. Officers found another dead cat inside the suspect’s apartment inside a plastic bag.
A witness said the cat in the bag was microwaved.
A total of thee cats were killed in the microwave, CWBChicago reported.
According to police documents, Martel checked ‘yes’ for serious mental health problems in his arrestee questionnaire. An arrest report cited Marte had been taking prescribed medications.
Confesses he had enjoyed killing cats since he was a young child
Martel would kill a kitten and then use Craiglist to find another so his mother wouldn’t be suspicious, according to CWB, which reported Martel told his girlfriend that he had enjoyed killing cats since he was a young child.
In one instance, the girlfriend told Martel to stop and he threw her out before immediately requesting money from her for another kitten, CWB reported, adding she eventually contacted police, who found a bag of kitten body parts in the home.
Martel works at the Elmhurst-based roofing company S&D Enterprises Inc., according to screenshots shared on social media of his LinkedIn page, which appears to have been taken down.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County set special conditions for Martel’s bail, set at $7,500, including being placed on an electronic monitoring device monitored by the Cook County sheriff and having ‘no contact with any animal under any condition.’
Martel has no prior convictions.
