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Article Archive > Probe: More cats in cruelty case Probe: More cats in cruelty case As the man accused of killing 14 cats remained Sunday in the Monmouth County Jail, the enforcement chief of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said more information about the situation is slowly emerging. "We are uncovering a lot more," SPCA Chief Law Enforcement Officer Victor "Buddy" Amato said Sunday. Amato said his office discovered that more cats were involved than the 14 originally reported killed by Anthony Appolonia, 48, of Aberdeen. "It's horrible," Amato said of the number of calls his office has received from people who said they also gave their cats to Appolonia. The county Prosecutor's Office has taken over the investigation into the actions of Appolonia. He was charged Friday by police in Aberdeen with committing animal cruelty. Amato has said that the SPCA lacks the resources to handle the case, so he appreciates the prosecutor's involvement. Appolonia remained Sunday in the county jail in Freehold Township in lieu of $105,000 bail. He confessed to playing with the kittens before either throwing or beating them to the point of injury, according to the SPCA. Amato said Appolonia then would drown them in a toilet bowl or bath tub. An Appolonia family attorney not involved in this case said Anthony Appolonia suffered from a history of mental illness and had become estranged from other family members. Amato has said authorities traced at least 22 cats to Appolonia, who is believed to have answered several newspaper advertisements seeking homes for kittens and cats. The SPCA interviewed about 20 people who dealt with Appolonia. |