Two Cases Pending in Connecticut
By Tracey Laszloffy, Best Friends VolunteerIs Ansonia Man A Serial Cat Killer?Charged are pending in Ansonia, Connecticut against 57-year-old Jay Baldwin in connection with the death of a kitten and the neglect of nine other cats. Baldwin came to the attention of the authorities when he returned two kittens to Irene Hudbenko, the woman from whom he had adopted them. One of them died as a result of injuries sustained while in Baldwin’s care. On August 8, Baldwin was arrested after a police investigation revealed nine cats in his home who were suffering from malnourishment, parasites, and trauma. Four of the cats had to be euthanized.
The kitten who died stands at the center of the case against Baldwin. Two autopsies showed trauma to the kitten’s head and neck, with blood filling the eye, nose, and mouth cavities. Baldwin’s defense attorney, Jonathon Gable, is arguing that the blood and the kitten’s subsequent death were the result of ingesting rat poison that had been left out by Baldwin’s landlord after he complained of rodents. However, Hudobenko countered that rat poison would not result in head and neck trauma. Because the autopsy did not test for rat poison, and because the kitten’s remains were cremated, Gable’s theory cannot be confirmed or denied.
Hudobenko, along with other concerned citizens, have been vocal about the fact that they fear Baldwin in a serial cat killer. They point out that apart from the death of the kitten in question, the nine other cats found in Baldwin’s care were all suffering from neglect and abuse. They have expressed fear that Baldwin will attempt to adopt other cats whom he will mistreat. Determined to speak for the victims who cannot speak for themselves, these citizens have been present at the courthouse at each of Baldwin’s court appearances, holding signs and asking the court to recognize him as a serial cat killer who will hurt other animals if not dealt with appropriately.
This past Tuesday, September 9, Derby Superior Court Judge Karen Nash Sequino slashed Jay Baldwin's bond in the animal-cruelty case from $10,000 to $5,000. If he posts bail, which is attorney expects will happen, Hudobenko fears he will try to adopt other cats. He is due back in court October 2.
Cruelty on Quinnipiac AvenueIn June, Dino Cortina was arrested on four counts of animal cruelty after the skeletal remains of at least 50 cats were discovered on the first floor of his house at
467 Quinnipiac Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut. Because of the length of time that had passed from the time the cats died and when they were found, it was difficult to collect physical evidence. Therefore, only four counts of cruelty were lodged against Cortina, although even a lay observer could discern that an atrocity had been committed at his residence.
The cats’ remains were found in March by Jim Stack, a foreclosure agent who entered the abandoned house on Quinnipiac Avenue to secure it for public auction. Stack reported seeing the remains of cats who were lying face-down in empty food bowls and pinned underneath furniture. Photographs taken by Stack show numerous skeletal remains scattered through a filthy home cluttered with trash and discarded furniture. Little was left of the animals but bones and fur. In one photograph four small skulls lay together on a stained carpet.
City spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga said that the city fears the cats may have been victims of torture and is investigating. Neighbor Ian Christmann told a reporter from the New Haven
Register that he warned the city’s Livable Cities Initiative numerous times about stench and blight at the home but received no help. He described “a smell of death and odor over there for two years.” Christmann said that at times the stench was so bad that his wife could not garden outside, and they could not leave their windows open. Last year, they also discovered the carcass of an animal who had been trapped in a cage in Cortina’s backyard. He said that it was clear the cats had been abandoned in Cortina’s house because they saw them inside. He claimed that he and his wife called LCI numerous times to try and get them to come out to the property. After calling animal control directly, an officer came out to the house but was unable to enter the residence. On January 5, LCI finally came out and boarded up the building which ensured that any living animals inside were certain to die a horrible death.
LCI director Andrew Rizzo acknowledged that the agency had received community complaints during the last year. He claimed he sent personnel several times to investigate and to speak to the residents, but it was unclear when Cortina had moved out. He also admits that the house was boarded up after it went into foreclosure.
In retrospect it appears that the system broke down at multiple levels. Neither LCI nor animal control followed the obvious indicators of a problem involving animals (e.g., the stench, neighbor reports of seeing animals inside the dwelling, including after the property appeared abandoned). The fact the residence was ultimately boarded up without an internal inspection completed the cycle of neglect both on the part of Cortina and the authorities who were responsible for protecting those who are unable to protect themselves. In this case, 50 or more cats died agonizing and nightmarish deaths because of this gross neglect and incompetence.
Thankfully, after the skeletal discoveries were made at 467 Quinnipiac Avenue, the police took a proactive approach and intervened in a second home in Newhallville, Connecticut, where Cortina was allegedly hoarding 25 cats. Those cats were found curled around a space heater in one small room at 104/106 Bassett Street. All of the cats found here were in reasonably good health, and after being coaxed by animal control officers, Cortina agreed to give them up.
Currently, Cortina is free on $5,000 bail. After several continuances, he is now scheduled to appear in court on October 3 where he will enter his plea in conjunction with four misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals. He is expected to ask Judge Phillip Scarpalino to place him on anon reporting probationary period without admitting responsibility for the death/torture/ starvation of the 50 or so cats. If the Judge grants this program the charges will get dismissed once the probationary period expires.
What You Can Do1. Get clear about
what constitutes cruelty2. If you believe cruelty, abuse, or neglect are occurring
click here to find out what you can do.
3. If you are a resident of Connecticut, and especially if you reside in either Ansonia or new Haven, write or call the State’s Attorney for that region and explain that as a concerned citizen you want to see all cases of animal cruelty prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, including the cases involving Jay Baldwin (in Ansonia) and Dino Cortina (in New Haven).
Ansonia/MilfordKevin D. Lawlor, State's Attorney
14 West River Street Milford, CT 06460
(203) 874-3361
New HavenMichael Dearington, State's Attorney
235 Church Street New Haven, CT 06510
(203) 503-6823
4. Check out the Best Friends website for
resources that individuals can use to make a difference for animals in need.
Photo courtesy of istockphoto.com
Posted by Tracey Laszloffy