He Allegedly Threatened To Poison Cats In The Neighborhood. When Several Died, Police Zeroed In.

He allegedly was clear about his plans to harm cats in his neighborhood. When several pets there started dropping dead, evidence led police to him.

Jeremy Gordon Stromwall, 36, of Dunnellon, Florida, was arrested this week and charged with four counts of aggravated animal cruelty.

Police had been investigating for approximately a month after a pet owner in the city told officers that his cat, "Mr. Cat," had gotten sick and died overnight. According to testing, the cat likely had died from poisoning. The owner also told police that his dog, "Bella," died in October under similar circumstances.

Another neighbor reported that five of her cats had died in a similar matter in October.

The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicide tested Mr. Cat and found that the feline died from ethylene glycol intoxication, likely from ingesting antifreeze. Many of the other animals were tested and showed the same results.

Officers later found a bowl of tuna mixed with antifreeze outside Stromwall's home. According to police, Stromwall had previously made comments about plans to harm cats in the neighborhood while stating that he would put out tainted food to poison them.

When police did a search, they found containers of antifreeze, several cans of tuna and fish-flavored rat poison, according to WESH.