Rochester Hills Man Arrested After Allegedly Beating Roommate's Cat To Death With Hammer

ROCHESTER HILLS (WWJ) - A 33-year-old Rochester Hills man is behind bars after he allegedly beat his roommate's cat to death with a hammer.

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard says the roommate tried to stop the suspect but couldn't, ran out of the apartment and called 911. Deputies arrived at the scene a short time later to find the suspect sitting on the floor with the dead cat and the bloody weapon lying next to him.

Bouchard said this is a "disgusting and disturbing" case on so many levels.

"If someone can inflict this kind of torturous pain and death by striking a cat in the head repeatedly, and continuing to do it — feeling no compulsion to stop and second-guessing oneself, saying 'What am I doing?'" Bourchard said. "What makes you think that, not that that's not bad enough by itself, that those boundaries have clearly broken down in this person and they wouldn't do that to a human?"

Bouchard said studies have link animal abuse to violence against humans.

"Oftentimes they become thrilled, if you will, and desensitized by early activities of torturing animals and then ultimately they accelerate into humans," he said. "That's been studies in numerous serial killers."

It's unclear what prompted the killing.

Animal cruelty charges are pending against the suspect. His name is being withheld pending an arraignment.