A Florida man was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly poisoned several pets in his neighborhood with antifreeze.
Jeremy Gordon Stromwall, 36, of Dunnellon, faces four counts of aggravated animal cruelty, according to an announcement from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Thursday.
The investigation into the suspicious deaths of neighborhood pets began when deputies were called to a possible case of animal poisoning on Dec. 2, authorities said.
Upon arrival, police learned that a cat named Mr. Cat had been brought to Dunnellon Animal Hospital after showing symptoms of illness and convulsions. Mr. Cat died during treatment and subsequent tests confirmed that he had probably been poisoned.
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Jeremy Gordon Stromwall was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly poisoned several pets in his neighborhood with antifreeze.
(Marion County Sheriff’s Office)
Mr. Cat’s owner reported that his dog, Bella, had died in similar circumstances in October, according to police. Another neighbor reported that five cats had also died since October.
Authorities brought in an expert from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, whose forensic autopsy of Mr. Cat determined the animal died of ethylene glycol poisoning, suggesting it had ingested antifreeze.
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Autopsies on the exhumed remains of the dog Bella and two other cats named Lil’ Peanut and Tiger determined that they had also been poisoned with ethylene glycol.
During their initial investigation, authorities found a container containing what appeared to be tuna mixed with antifreeze in front of Stromwall’s home. They sent the tuna to the Texas A&M University Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, which confirmed the presence of antifreeze in the mix.
A short-haired cat sits on a cat tree.
(iStock)
Authorities also obtained information that Stromwall allegedly admitted to planting food contaminated with antifreeze and rat poison to kill the neighborhood cats.
Executing a search warrant at Stromwall’s home on December 22, agents said they found three containers of antifreeze, including a nearly empty container of antifreeze concentrate, several cans of tuna and fish-flavored rat poison.
Agents executed a search warrant at Stromwall’s residence in Dunnellon, Florida, on December 22.
(Credit: Google Maps)
Police arrested Stromwall on a warrant and he remains in custody at the Marion County Jail.
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“As sheriff, I am committed to investigating allegations of cruelty to animals, including pets, livestock and work animals,” Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said in a statement. “I’m proud of the work my helpers did on this case and I’m happy to get some justice for Mr. Cat, Bella, Lil’ Peanut, Tiger and their owners.”
