Crime & Safety
Oxford Man Shoots And Kills Cat That Annoyed Him: State Police
Police say the man thought the cat was a stray.
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OXFORD, CT — Police say an Oxford man is accused of shooting a neighbor's cat early Sunday morning, State Police said. Craig E. Middendorf, 48, of Roosevelt Drive, is charged with unlawful discharge of firearms, cruelty to animals and first-degree reckless endangerment.
State Police said the victim and Middendorf live side-by-side in a duplex type residence. Middendorf was annoyed by what he believed to be a stray cat so he shot and killed it in the backyard of the residence with a 22 caliber rifle, State Police said.
The cat was owned by the victim, State Police said. The suspect's rifle was seized and he was released on a $2,500 bond.
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