(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A 22-year-old Wicker Park man has been charged with killing and torturing cats, according to officials.
Thomas William Martel was charged with four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and two counts of animal torture, all felonies, Chicago police said.
Martel is accused of killing two cats by drowning and squeezing them and mutilating a third cat, according to police reports.
Another cat was found in a plastic bag in Martel’s apartment, where a witness said the cat had been microwaved, according to the report.
The crime website CWB Chicago, which wrote about the case earlier this week, reported that Martel allegedly would scour Craigslist for kittens that looked similar to the animals he had killed so that his acts would not be discovered. The website cited court officials who laid out Martel’s coverup attempts.
A police report lists Martel’s residence in Wicker Park, but court records and police say he lives in Northbrook.
Martel turned himself in Monday, according to police reports. His bail was set at $75,000, according to court documents. Martel would have to post $7,500 in order to be released.
CWB reported the judge in the case said Martel would have to be on electronic monitoring if he is released and he must not have contact with animals.
His next court date was scheduled for July 17.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire & Chicago Sun-Times 2023. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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