Jul 1, 2008 4:19 am US/Pacific
La Quinta Cat Slayings Under Investigation
LA QUINTA, Calif.
Authorities are investigating a series of grisly cat slayings in North La Quinta.
On Monday, a fourth cat woas found that had died under suspicious circumstances in the area since the end of May, according to La Quinta Assistant Police Chief Raymond Gregory.
"Its torso was mutilated and some of its skin was removed," Gregory said. "... We're still looking into whether (the death) was human-caused."
On June 18, a disemboweled cat was found in front of its owner's residence in the 44000 block of Foxtail Circle, the resident told police.
Another disembowled cat was found on May 30 along Desert Stream Drive near La Quinta Park, and a cat was found fatally shot May 29 in the gated community of Starlight Dunes, according to Gregory.
Though there are no "firm leads" in the investigation, the bodies of all four cats were found in nearby neighborhoods of North La Quinta, Gregory said.
Two other dead felines were also recently found, but they likely were killed by other animals. The body of one cat was discovered Sunday at the Renaissance housing development near Avenue 50 and Jefferson Street in southern La Quinta, Gregory said, and the remains of the other were found at Bermuda Dunes Country Club on Saturday.
Gregory urged North La Quinta residents to keep a close eye on their pets and pay attention to neighborhood activity.
Patrol officers are aware of the killings and will keep a "close eye out for any suspicious activity," he said last week.
Sheriff's deputies in Indio are investigating the deaths.
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