Advertisement

Cases of three cats gutted or shot in La Quinta now linked

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Riverside County sheriff’s officials are investigating a trio of cat slayings in La Quinta over the last few weeks in which owners found their felines disemboweled, gutted, or shot.

‘We only get about half a dozen animal cruelty calls a month but nothing like this,’ said Lt. Raymond Gregory, a sheriff’s spokesman. ‘So this is too unusual and too weird.’

Advertisement

Investigators believe the cat slayings are linked, Gregory said.

The latest incident occurred June 18, when a resident told police his cat was found with its stomach slit open in front of his home in the 44000 block of Foxtail Circle.

A gutted cat was found May 30 on Desert Stream Drive near La Quinta Park, the day after a feline was found shot in the gated community of Starlight Dunes. Gregory said the owners discarded the cats before the Sheriff’s Department could examine the carcasses.

‘We didn’t have any physical evidence on the cats,’ Gregory said. ‘And a few weeks went by and it looked like isolated incidents until last week’s killing.’

Gregory said it was clear that the gutted cats had not been attacked by an animal.

All three killings took place within a one-mile radius in the northern part of La Quinta, he said.

‘This is a residential area so we are certainly urging the public to contact us if they see anything suspicious,’ said Gregory, who also serves as assistant chief for La Quinta Police, which is also investigating the cases. ‘The public should also keep an eye on their cats.’

Gregory said if anyone saw violence against an animal in progress they should call 911. Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to call the sheriff’s station in Indio at (760) 863-8990.

Advertisement

-- Francisco Vara-Orta

* An earlier headline on this post incorrectly said the incidents took place in La Corona.

Advertisement