SALEM, Ore. — Salem police have arrested a fourth teen in connection with the shooting death of a family's cat in Salem last month. The boy is suspected to be the one who actually shot the cat, according to a news release from the Salem Police Department.
The family's home surveillance cameras captured footage of what appeared to be a group of young people shooting and killing the cat, Vortex, on the sidewalk outside the family's home in the early morning hours of May 10. The footage showed a group of four people noticing the cat, and then a short time later a fifth person joined the group, pulled out what appeared to be a gun and shot the cat.
The suspects appeared to be using their phones to take video of the injured cat, and then about a minute later the recording showed the same person shooting the cat a second time point-blank. The group ran off, but returned moments later to put the cat's body into a neighbor's yard.
Two 17-year-old boys were arrested in early June and charged with first-degree aggravated animal abuse, and one was also charged with evidence tampering. A third teen was arrested the following week; the 15-year-old boy was also charged with first-degree aggravated animal abuse and tampering with evidence, as well as interfering with a peace officer.
The fourth teen, a 16-year-old, was arrested on Saturday afternoon at his home and also charged with first-degree aggravated animal abuse. Like the other three teens, he was lodged at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center.