Florida teen arrested on animal cruelty charges...

[Grace]

From the Miami Herald -

When it came time to take his mug shot, the clean-cut Weinman flashed a half-smile.

He was charged with 19 counts of felony animal cruelty, 19 counts of improperly disposing of an animal body and four counts of burglary. Each of the felony counts carries a minimum mandatory fine of $5,000, six months in prison and psychological counseling.

[meetthemews]

Oh thank god they caught him, I was horrified when I read the article about these killings. I wonder what the penalty for this type of crime is, especially since they have linked serial killers to this type of behavior. I'm sure it would include some kind of rehabiliation since he is young. But I doubt it would do much good.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Burglary is a felony. He could be in serious trouble if convicted.

[Alysser]

Yes, but the sad thing is he is not getting in more trouble for animal cruelty.

[Grace]

Oh thank god they caught him, I was horrified when I read the article about these killings. I wonder what the penalty for this type of crime is, especially since they have linked serial killers to this type of behavior. I'm sure it would include some kind of rehabiliation since he is young. But I doubt it would do much good.

Please see my post, directly above yours, for the penalties.

[Alysser]

Wow, sorry I just realized it was for each case That is quite a few years..but I don't feel like doing the math. I just hope he gets the full hit on the law because he is still quite young.

[luckies4me]

Reading something like this makes me happy to know my children are growing up learning respect for animals. This just makes me sick to my stomach. And to think that there is more than one kid doing this? Where are the parents???

[kitten645]

I read this on another site but found it amusing...
"I hope his prison name is pussy."
Crude I know but funny. Hope he gets what's coming to him. If he WASN"T guilty, don't you think he'd be a little more somber?

[Anikaca77]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090617/...cats_mutilated


MIAMI – A teenager accused of killing of more than a dozen cats in South Florida does not pose a danger to himself or the community and can be released from jail on bond, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Judge John Thornton ordered Tyler Hayes Weinman, 18, released after a brief hearing Wednesday morning. Weinman, who appeared in a Miami-Dade County courtroom in a red, jail-issued uniform, will wear an electronic monitoring bracelet while he awaits his trial and will be allowed to attend counseling sessions that were recommended by a doctor after a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation.

"He is competent to proceed and does not, at this time, appear to be at risk of harming himself or others," Thornton said.

Weinman has been charged with 19 counts each of animal cruelty and improperly disposing of an animal body. He also faces four counts of burglary related to the cat deaths. His bond, which was set at $249,500, was posted Tuesday.

"He's just a good kid whose a victim of circumstances," said his attorney, Michael Walsh. "He did not do this crime."

Weinman is accused of the gruesome cat killings that terrorized residents of two south Miami-Dade County neighborhoods for about a month. Police believe he is behind the deaths of more than a dozen animals, whose mutilated bodies were discovered by their owners or other residents. Police say they investigated the deaths of about 30 cats, but they say some were likely killed by dogs.

"He's an innocent man," Walsh said. "There's no evidence. Obviously, there's been a public outcry to solve this crime and you know that that motivates police in certain directions. And now this young man has to sit there and bear the allegations. When the case starts to unfold, you'll see."

The teenager, who was arrested over the weekend, is scheduled to be arraigned July 6. His father and stepmother attended Wednesday's hearing and initially declined to speak with the media outside the courtroom after the proceedings. As the couple walked outside the courthouse, however, his father told television reporters that he was confident his son wasn't involved in the deaths.

"I'm absolutely sure that he is innocent," Doug Weinman said. "Because I've raised a son for 18 years and I know who he is."

Alicia Glatzer, whose cat, Sarah, was found killed and mutilated outside her family's Palmetto Bay home in early May, said she was shocked by Weinman's release.

"It's disturbing that they would let him out knowing that he has killed so many cats," Glatzer said. "Although he says he's innocent and his attorney says he's innocent, there hasn't been any cat killings since he's been in jail. It's a concern of mine that he's let out, that's he's back on the street."

Police said they arrested Weinman after tracking the teenager for some time. He was taken to the police station for an interview on his prom night and his house was placed under surveillance. But on Wednesday, Walsh was critical of the investigation, saying that his client's arrest was based on circumstantial evidence.

"He doesn't know who did it," Walsh said. "He has no idea. Next thing he knows, he's in the back of a police car being arrested for this crime."

[Marigold2]

Cute kid.
Wish he would get the death penelty.
What I find so interesting is the smile.
He doesn't look afraid that he was caught,or what will happen to him.
Doesn't look embrassed, like he did something wrong.
No fear in his eyes. How many people smile for a mug shot and look smug?
No fear he will hurt his parents, friends, school mates, grandparents.
He looks smug.
He looks like he is IN CONTROL.
He is a pyschopath.
He will kill again.