CA man arrested after cooking and eating stray cats
posted at 3:55 pm on February 23, 2012 by Howard Portnoy
The crime, though grotesque, is so out-of-the-ordinary that authorities were not sure at first how to charge a Bakersfield, California, man who—brace yourself—cooked and ate cats that wandered into his yard.
The suspect, 35-year-old Jason Wilmert, was arrested earlier this month after neighbors complained about awful cooking smells emanating from his backyard. Station KBAK reports that police, sent to the man’s address, discovered his insidious and deranged secret.
Kern County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Michael Yraceburn told reporters, “I’ve been involved with these kinds of [animal abuse] cases for a long time. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one like this before.”
Neighbors were also incredulous when they found out what Wilmert was up to. One of them, Joe Nuno said, “I heard a cat cry. It was a weird cry, real loud.” Nuno went outside to investigate a short time later. It was then that he smelled something cooking, adding, “It smelled like some awful meat.”
When deputies finally paid Wilmert a call, the neighbors’ worst fears were confirmed. The uniformed personnel found Wilmert holding one of the animals by its tail, skinning it while it was still alive.
Wilmert has been charged with two counts of misdemeanor animal abuse and one of using animals commonly kept as pets or companions as food. The law was enacted in 1989 and amended in 1996.
KBAK investigated the case on its own and discovered that Wilmert faces charges from a prior case that include littering, resisting arrest, and “unauthorized nonagricultural burning.” A check of the Kern County Superior Court website further reveals an outstanding warrant on one of the charges.
Wilmert is currently being held on $15,000 bail on the earlier charge and $7,500 on the animal abuse charges. He is expected to appear in court on Friday.
P.S. Lest anyone think this crime is a one-off occurrence, check out this video from 2010, which details the thwarted plans of a man to “marinate” his own pet cat for consumption later.
Related Articles
- CA town attempts to ban McDonald’s on religious grounds
- Referendum to overturn CA gay history law
- California passes law mandating teaching of gay history: Now what?
- Homeless AZ man skins and eats cat, wears intestines as necklace
- Dogs found skinned and decapitated along roads in Denver suburb
Follow me on Twitter or join me at Facebook. You can reach me at howard.portnoy@gmail.com or by posting a comment below.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Mr Portnoy almost needs his own dedicated corner of the Green Room for all those “IN OTHER NEWS…” stories he finds.
…eating cats, huh? /shiver
Jeddite on February 23, 2012 at 4:06 PM
faith in humanity: gone
Sachiko on February 23, 2012 at 4:18 PM
Why didn’t Wilmert go to the the animal shelter, like everyone else, to get them?
scrubjay on February 23, 2012 at 4:20 PM
Maybe he should have given his neighbors bags of Doritos to stay quiet.
Yeah, I know… but I’m having problems coming up with anything except sick humor in regards to this.
malclave on February 23, 2012 at 4:22 PM
he’s not just eating them, he’s torturing them which is probably his real motivation- the sadistic torture.
they start with animals….they move on to people.
mittens on February 23, 2012 at 4:26 PM
What took you so long? The tyrants we vote into power couldn’t make you lose your faith in humanity, but a couple of cat hating crazies could?
/eyeroll
gryphon202 on February 23, 2012 at 4:39 PM
This guy is nuts. I’ve got dogs and cats, so I’d be tempted to kill a guy like this if I caught him with one of my animals. HOWEVER, we don’t let our cats outside and our dogs are confined to our yard. But then if this guy was in my neighborhood he wouldn’t get much to eat – the coyotes eat all the stray/loose cats and dogs.
We also once had a Cambodian family in a prior neighborhood that was catching and eating squirrels until the police told them to stop and BUY their food like everyone else.
dentarthurdent on February 23, 2012 at 4:40 PM
Awful story.
rbj on February 23, 2012 at 4:51 PM
So, no good “Korean culture” defense…???
My golden and I have an understanding…
In the zombi apocalypse, whichever one of us gets to it first gets to eat the other.
He’s good with it.
Ragspierre on February 23, 2012 at 4:59 PM
scrubjay on February 23, 2012 at 4:20 PM, the ones from the shelters cost a bundle. There’s usually fees for neutering or spaying, then licenses and such need to be paid. Free range kitties are the way to go.
joated on February 23, 2012 at 5:01 PM
Why not charge him with felony animal abuse? His actions meet the elements of the crime. In fact, I’m shocked that this is not charged as a felony. What’s up with that???
Blake on February 23, 2012 at 5:08 PM
Vincent: Want some bacon?
Jules: No man, I don’t eat pork.
Vincent: Are you Jewish?
Jules: Nah, I ain’t Jewish, I just don’t dig on swine, that’s all.
Vincent: Why not?
Jules: Pigs are filthy animals. I don’t eat filthy animals.
Vincent: Bacon tastes gooood. Pork chops taste gooood.
Jules: Hey, sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I’d never know ’cause I wouldn’t eat the filthy m****f*. Pigs sleep and root in s**t. That’s a filthy animal. I ain’t eat nothin’ that ain’t got sense enough to disregard its own feces.
Vincent: How about a dog? Dogs eats its own feces.
Jules: I don’t eat dog either.
Vincent: Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal?
Jules: I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
Vincent: Ah, so by that rationale, if a pig had a better personality, he would cease to be a filthy animal. Is that true?
Jules: Well we’d have to be talkin’ about one charming m**f**in’ pig. I mean he’d have to be ten times more charmin’ than that Arnold on Green Acres, you know what I’m sayin’?
Hueydriver: Cat’s have way less personality than pigs. Therefore, not a menu item.
Hueydriver on February 23, 2012 at 5:18 PM
String the bastard up.
Mr. Prodigy on February 23, 2012 at 6:38 PM
Guitar or violin…???
Ragspierre on February 23, 2012 at 7:08 PM
You owe me a new keyboard. ROFLMAO
AH_C on February 23, 2012 at 7:11 PM
XD
i lost some of my faith in humanity in the previous green room thread, the rest of it was lost here.
Sachiko on February 23, 2012 at 7:19 PM
Wow..so now it’s illegal to eat puzzy in CA. Way to go liberals.
HumpBot Salvation on February 23, 2012 at 7:19 PM
PFFFFFFTTtttttt…
Hump, you barbarian…!!!!
Ragspierre on February 23, 2012 at 7:23 PM
Sorry, guys: properly done, cat stew is a dish fit for kings. Or even Comrade 0. But for Chrissake, skinning them alive? That’s beyond messed-up…
affenhauer on February 23, 2012 at 7:36 PM
Mmmmmmmmmm…General Tso’s chicken!
SouthernGent on February 23, 2012 at 7:56 PM
Even if that were not so, it’s still evil and disgusting and the penalty should be severe.
TigerPaw on February 23, 2012 at 9:43 PM
Do not ask what it is that you are eating in South Korea, the Phillippines, Hong Kong or Hotel/King street Honolulu etc….
By the way, dog meat is tough and has an aftertaste. To each his own, I say.
JimboHoffa on February 23, 2012 at 10:01 PM
Maybe call it urban venison?
JimboHoffa on February 23, 2012 at 10:03 PM
Squirrel is quite good, better than rabbit. As long as you’re not extincting them in your area, nothin’ wrong with it.
cane_loader on February 23, 2012 at 10:06 PM
He skins the cat alive and it’s only a misdeamor? If he was too poor to purchase food and twisted its neck, I’d give him a pass. What he does is sadistic and he should be charged with a felony. Personally, I charge him with murder.
lonestar1 on February 23, 2012 at 11:39 PM
It’s CA, we like fish tacos
burrata on February 24, 2012 at 12:30 AM
LMAO
GWB on February 24, 2012 at 10:33 AM
If this guy had been doing this for food, I’d still find it awful and disgusting, but at least his motive would be easy to understand.
But skinning them alive? Indefensible. Totally indefensible. He should be facing more serious charges. I have zero sympathy for anyone who is apathetic to the pain and suffering of a sentient being.
humili mente on February 24, 2012 at 11:08 AM
Oh I’ve got nothing against eating squirrel – although I haven’t had it myself – rabbit was pretty good though. But this was in a residential neighborhood in the middle of Colorado Springs – not exactly a hillbilly kill it and grill zone. The police got the call cuz some of the retirees who fed the squirrels started noticing they were disappearing.
However, I would have preferred the squirrel eating Cambodian family any day over the crack dealers that moved in later.
dentarthurdent on February 24, 2012 at 11:29 AM
I’m originally from Maine where everyone eats clam – regardless of beard status….
dentarthurdent on February 24, 2012 at 11:33 AM
Huh, I was just listening to “Rock This Town” by The Stray Cats too. Didn’t care for all their music but I don’t think I’d eat them…
Marcola on February 24, 2012 at 7:01 PM