Santa Maria resident Nellie Marie Palacios, 43, was arrested for allegedly stabbing and choking a cat to death on Jan. 2 at her ex-boyfriend’s home in Orcutt.
Palacios was scheduled for an arraignment hearing on Jan. 7, but the case hadn’t yet been called when the Sun went to press.
According to a press release sent out by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to an Orcutt residence on Jan. 2 after a man called 911. He alleges that his girlfriend, Palacios, went into his home and started removing paintings off the walls. He also said he saw her choking a cat and stabbing it with a large knife.
Palacios was in the yard when deputies arrived; they reported finding the cat’s body in a doghouse. The press release said the cat died from stab wounds, and deputies found a knife under the doghouse covered in blood and cat hair. It was unclear who owned the cat.
According to the release, Palacios told deputies the cat attacked her and she acted in self-defense.
She was taken to a local hospital and treated for scratches before heading to the Santa Barbara County Jail. She’s being charged with one felony count of cruelty to an animal.
Rick Henry with the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office said animal cruelty cases don’t come along that often. He added that many of the animal cruelty convictions that result in jail time are more heinous and deliberate than this particular one.
This article appears in Jan 9-16, 2014.