Cat killer baits antifreeze with food

By KELLY NIX

Published: October 30, 2009

THE PERSON who placed a dish of antifreeze in a flower bed of a Pacific Grove apartment complex to kill a tenant’ÄöˆÑˆ¥s cat in September set out two more bowls of the poison, this time adding food to the toxic soup so it would be more enticing to felines.

Jackie Edwards’ÄöˆÑˆ¥ cat, Lily, died Sept. 28 after being poisoned with ethylene glycol, the ingredient in automobile antifreeze. Someone had placed a bowl of the chemical, which can be appealing to cats and dogs, inside Edwards’ÄöˆÑˆ¥ apartment complex and one outside near the P.G. recreation trail.

Bread and fish

On Oct. 13 and 15, two more bowls of antifreeze were discovered at Edwards’ÄöˆÑˆ¥ apartment complex by the building’ÄöˆÑˆ¥s manager. One dish was found on the third floor landing and another in the garden. Unlike the first bowls, these also had food soaked in antifreeze.

’ÄöˆÑˆ†I found a little plastic container with bread and antifreeze,’ÄöˆÑˆ¼ she said. ’ÄöˆÑˆ†A resident found the bottom of a Coke bottle. It had some sort of fish and antifreeze in it.’ÄöˆÑˆ¼

Edwards said she was shocked to think the person still wants to kill cats.

’ÄöˆÑˆ†It makes me sick to think that this person is continuing this malice,’ÄöˆÑˆ¼ Edwards said Wednesday.

The apartment manager, who declined to be identified, said she called the police, who made a report of the crime. Officers suggested she install video cameras in the complex. ’ÄöˆÑˆ†We are just watching and looking,’ÄöˆÑˆ¼ she said.

Edwards and the apartment manager believe a tenant set out the bowls of antifreeze. The manager issued a notice to tenants letting them know that they would be reported to police and evicted if caught.

’ÄöˆÑˆ†I also told people to keep their cats inside,’ÄöˆÑˆ¼ she said, adding that there are only one or two cats living at the complex off Lighthouse Avenue.

Edwards, a Pine Cone employee, said she was stunned to learn more antifreeze has been found.

’ÄöˆÑˆ†It’ÄöˆÑˆ¥s sad that a human being could be so cruel,’ÄöˆÑˆ¼ she said. ’ÄöˆÑˆ†I was starting to put Lily’ÄöˆÑˆ¥s death behind me, and every time I do, something else comes up.’ÄöˆÑˆ¼

The act of cruelty has led her to keep one eye open.

’ÄöˆÑˆ†It’ÄöˆÑˆ¥s making me suspicious of my neighbors,’ÄöˆÑˆ¼ she said. ’ÄöˆÑˆ†I’ÄöˆÑˆ¥m starting to look around and watch people a little more.’ÄöˆÑˆ¼

At the same time, Edwards said most tenants have been very supportive.

’ÄöˆÑˆ†People are still coming up to me,’ÄöˆÑˆ¼ she said. ’ÄöˆÑˆ†They have been so wonderful and so caring, and that’ÄöˆÑˆ¥s the only good thing that’ÄöˆÑˆ¥s come out of it.’ÄöˆÑˆ¼