A 27-year-old Haifa resident was arrested after he was filmed beating a cat to death near a pet store in Tirat Carmel. Coastal District police from the Tirat Carmel station, with the assistance of the Carmel Area Crime Suppression Unit, arrested the suspect for severely abusing the cat and causing its death in great agony.
The shocking incident occurred after the suspect arrived at the pet store and purchased cat food. Upon leaving, he fed one of the street cats that was near the store. When the cat approached the food, the suspect grabbed its tail and slammed its head and body on the floor several times, killing it. The horrific incident, which occurred on Tuesday of this week, was recorded on the store's security camera.
The man was identified from store footage, where he paid for cat food using his smartphone shortly before the attack.
The video, published on Daniel Amram's Telegram channel, shocked many, who responded on social media and spread the suspect's photo to help the police identify him. Depending on the needs and findings of the investigation, the police will ask the court on Friday to extend his detention.
The police investigation revealed that the suspect paid at the store using a credit card. Since the credit card company is prohibited from handing over customer information, due to customer confidentiality, the police turned to the Haifa Magistrate's Court and requested an order forcing the credit card company to hand over the customer information. After the suspect's identity was established, an arrest warrant was issued for him, and he was arrested this afternoon.
Eli Nahum, one of the owners of the Nahum Brothers store, next to the place where the man killed the cat, said: "Around 6 p.m., a passerby came in and told me she saw someone abusing a cat, and it was dying. I went out and found the cat’s body on the ground. Since I was busy with customers, an employee, Regina, coordinated with the bystander to try and help the cat, but it was too late."
Nahum reviewed the store’s security footage and identified the suspect as the same man who had purchased cat food earlier. “The cat wasn’t from the store; it was one of the stray cats we and others in the area regularly feed. He must have lured it with the food and then killed it in a horrific manner. When I saw the video, I immediately recognized the suspect as the one who bought the food from me,” he said, adding, “I couldn’t bring myself to watch the entire video.”
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Haifa man caught on camera abusing, killing cat
(Photo: From Daniel Amram's Telegram channel)
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Nir Schuber, a Haifa-based animal welfare activist, expressed his shock: “I was horrified when I heard the story and saw the video. I filed a police complaint this morning, and I know two other women, including a store employee, also filed complaints. This level of cruelty is unthinkable.”
Etti Altman, co-founder of the animal welfare organization Let the Animals Live, condemned the attack: “This is a monstrous act of cruelty against a defenseless cat. This man is a walking menace, and I hope he’s apprehended swiftly, brought to justice and sentenced to a lengthy prison term. Our legal team immediately filed a police complaint upon learning of the incident. Tirat Carmel police seem to be taking this case seriously. Anyone who harms animals poses a real threat to people as well.”