Police Charge Yarmouth Man With Killing Roommate's Kitten

YARMOUTH (CBS) – A Yarmouth man with a lengthy criminal history was charged with animal cruelty on Tuesday after police said he killed his roommate's cat.

Yarmouth police said that at 10:10 p.m. on Tuesday they were called to Jerusha Lane in West Yarmouth where they found a woman crying and holding an orange kitten wrapped in a towel.

Officers inspected the cat, and found that it was dead and covered with blood. The woman said the cat was killed by her roommate, Randy Newell, 46, who was still inside the apartment.

Police said they went inside the apartment and found Newell sitting on the edge of a bed putting his shoes on. Officers said his pants were covered in blood spatter and he "had a blank look on his face."

Newell was told to stand up, and though police said he did not initially comply, he was taken into custody after an officer pointed his stun gun at him.

Newell was charged with animal cruelty and killing, maiming or poisoning an animal. He was scheduled to be arraigned in Barnstable District Court on Wednesday morning.

Yarmouth police said Newell has a known history of violence and aggressive behavior towards police and has been arrested on more than 48 prior criminal charges in Massachusetts.

In addition, Yarmouth police said they have been called to the Jerusha Lane apartment about 100 times in the last year for disturbances, drug offenses, assaults, noise complaints and intoxicated people.

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