“I didn’t kill anyone, just removed one”: neighbors of alleged cat killer speak out

Next to the new government quarter in Yaroslavl lies a four-story dormitory at 14 Lenin Avenue, where residents have lived side by side for years, sharing common bathrooms, showers, and kitchens.

Recently, the walls of the building have been shaking with curses. Friction in the common corridors began after a horrific incident—the killing of a neighbor«s cat. The abuse was captured on a street surveillance camera. Warning: the video contains graphic content; avoid if it may be distressing.

One of the residents took the animal«s life. The owner filed a police report, and officers detained and interrogated the suspect. There, he admitted to killing the cat.

However, he was soon released on a written pledge not to leave town. Now, dormitory neighbors blame him for the deaths and disappearances of other cats in the building. People fear things could get worse.

On July 9, the regional police department announced the man«s arrest. Authorities opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 245 of the Russian Criminal Code, “Cruelty to animals.”

“How can you talk to him? He laughed, that«s it”

Approaching the entrance of the old building, the surveillance footage involuntarily comes to mind. Here is the threshold where Alexander (name changed—Ed.) smashed the cat«s head twice against the concrete steps.

On those same steps, we were met by a resident named Olga. When we said why we had come, indignation flared on her face.

— A sadist! He belongs only in prison.

Collecting her thoughts, she continued.

— I«ve lived here for four years. Never encountered him, never crossed paths. Then it started. He suddenly punched my son in the chest—he was drunk. My son was going down, the man was coming up. He also broke a man»s glasses. Constantly brawling, always tipsy, singing and shouting songs to the whole universe. I don«t know how his wife lives with him, I can»t even imagine, — added Olga.

According to residents, Alexander«s wife is aware of his cruelty and sees nothing illegal about it. Earlier, residents tried to engage the couple in dialogue, but saw no compassion on their faces. Alexander»s partner merely said, “What«s the difference—kill or put to sleep.”

Olga said some neighbors saw Alexander and his wife leaving early on July 21 at 6 a.m. with large bags. Residents concluded the couple had decided to move out. But there is no evidence of that.

We went inside. Olga disappeared behind the door of her room and quickly returned—not alone.

— I have a pet myself. Sonechka, look, you«re such a beauty (Olga, addressing the kitten.—Ed.). Look at the camera, everyone will admire you and show you everywhere.

— Do you let her outside? — we asked.

— God forbid! — Olga replied.

“They lied about the man! He removed just one cat”

Other dormitory residents emerged from their rooms. Several hands began stroking Sonechka, remembering Ryzhy—the cat who became the victim of the local animal abuser.

— Everyone loved him; he was the communal pet, wandering everywhere, visiting everyone, eating at everyone«s place. Everyone always let him in and played with him. Everything was fine; no one ever complained, — said Ryzhy»s owner, Maria.

The other residents agreed with her. Then they joined the discussion.

— He«s unstable. He walks around the entrance shouting. I called the police once; they took him away but released him the next evening, — added one resident.

At that moment, the neighbors, distracted by Sonechka, noticed a sidelong glance. A resident passing by decided to defend Alexander.

— What are you collecting that garbage for? He killed one stray cat. He didn«t touch anyone else. They»ve slandered the man—what sadist? Where did he dismember anyone in his room? I live next door to him. Why are you lying? These people are making it all up, and you«re writing it. Those cats were strays! If they were yours, why were they running around the entrance? If they were your pets, they»d be at home, — the neighbor defended Alexander.

The neighbors fell into a heated argument in the middle of the stairwell. But the defender«s voice was loudest of all.

— Even if he killed one cat—is that okay? — an animal activist, who alongside Ryzhy«s owner is gathering evidence against the abuser, asked the woman.

— You«ve talked nonsense. He didn»t kill anyone. He removed one stray cat. He didn«t touch anyone else. You»re lying, all of you! You«ve slandered the man! You don»t know him! We«re neighbors, — the resident continued to defend Alexander.

Then the residents asked the neighbor where Alexander is now and why he hasn«t been seen lately.

— He«s on the SMO. He went to the SMO! He»s a normal person, unlike you. Those cats were running around here, attacking us, — the Yaroslavl woman concluded.

“They didn«t bother anyone, caught rats”

Due to the conflict, we had to move to another wing of the dormitory. There, more residents wanted to speak.

— I think if someone is an animal abuser, well, then chase rats in the hallway. The cats walked around, didn«t bother anyone, caught rats. Even if one pooped, so what—take a rag and wipe it. But no rats, they don»t run around. Our corridor breathed a sigh of relief that rats don«t scurry underfoot. Now all the cats are gone, no one to catch them, — resident Irina shared with a 76.RU correspondent.

— Yes, we live in a dormitory; I understand it«s hard. People are all different; it»s not apartments. It«s a common corridor, common use. But I don»t know. We«ve always had cats living in the kitchen, we fed them. We never had anything like this—someone just up and killed. When I watched the video, I couldn»t sleep for a week, — added Irina.

— A lot of people wrote in internet comments: what, are there no men in the building? They«d have a talk with him. For instance, I won»t let my husband go; he«d punch his face, then end up in jail. For what? For that guy? I don»t want to ruin my life. It should be settled by law. Or he«d hit someone on the head, and then what? Become disabled? There are men, but, excuse me, who wants to? — another resident joined the conversation.

Now, Maria, Ryzhy«s owner, along with concerned neighbors, is trying to get a harsher sentence for Alexander. Article 245 of the Criminal Code on “Cruelty to animals” has two parts indicating the severity of the crime.

— They opened a case under Part 1—that«s killing an animal. There»s Part 2—committed in a cruel, sadistic manner—that«s a qualifying feature. He fits that exactly; he slammed the animal»s head against concrete; it suffered, then lingered, and died. There are testimonies that he killed other animals. The qualifying feature of Part 2, under another letter, is multiple killings of multiple domestic animals. Whether the investigator will reclassify the case or not—that«s what we»re pushing for now, — said concerned Yaroslavl resident Alexander, who responded to Maria«s appeal on social media.

“She ran out, and that«s it”

All this time, amid the shouting and arguing neighbors, a young man stands beside us with an empty carrier. Now there«s no one to carry in it. The cat Masya disappeared without a trace on April 20.

— We came home in the evening; she ran out into the hallway, and that was it. She used to hang out with Ryzhy outside all the time. But then she never came back; we searched but didn«t find her, — said resident German.

Although there«s no direct evidence, the video of Ryzhy»s killing prevents the owners of the other missing cats from dismissing suspicions about Alexander. Moreover, according to neighbors, the abuser himself admitted to killing Masya—German«s cat.

— We«re all neighbors here; everyone tells each other everything. So we were told that after killing Ryzhy, he admitted to killing a small tricolor cat. And ours was the only one like that in the building. That»s when everything clicked, — German added sadly.

“We saw blood, first time for that”

According to Maria, after killing the cat, Alexander took the body and carried it away so no one would see. But a lot of bloodstains remained around.

Next to the dormitory entrance is an order pickup point. We stopped by there too.

— We arrived, saw blood; I was surprised; it was the first time. Then the cat«s owner came and told us that her cat had been killed here, — said a young woman working at the pickup point.

— Did you clean up the blood yourselves? — we asked.

— Well, yes, who else? — she replied.

Want to follow the story with us? We publish all the information in our feature “The Yaroslavl Animal Abuser”.