Rashad Gober Charged In Series Of Brutal Cat Attacks In Cambridge
CAMBRIDGE (CBS) – Cambridge Police have charged a man in a series of horrific attacks on cats between March and May. Rashad Gober, 31, was arrested at his home in Cambridge Thursday morning.
Police began their investigation last month when a cat named Gosha was found brutalized underneath a car on May 6. The cat died after someone bound its' legs with masking tape and shot it 11 times with a BB gun. A necropsy later showed that a large part of Gosha's fur was missing.
Gosha had disappeared from outside its owners' home in Cambridge on May 4.
During their investigation, police uncovered two more cases in East Cambridge.
"A BB gun was used to injure "Tammy" on March 3 or 4 in East Cambridge; fortunately, the cat was able to recover from its injuries," police said in a statement.
"At some point between May 2-5, another East Cambridge cat -- "Buddy" – suffered chemical burns, but was also able to recover from their injuries."
While looking into Buddy's case, police were led to Gober. He told officers he found Buddy in his backyard and brought the cat into his apartment to take care of it before returning Buddy to his owner.
Police said they looked into tips and later found "key evidence" in the cases in Gober's apartment, car and phone.
He's now charged with four counts of animal cruelty. Gober had a not guilty plea entered on his behalf at his arraignment Thursday morning in Cambridge District Court. He's being held without bail until a probable cause hearing in the case on July 7.
Animal cruelty is a felony in Massachusetts. If convicted Gober could face up to seven years in prison and a fine of $5,000.
"Today's news is the breakthrough that animal lovers across Massachusetts have been waiting for since May," MSPCA-Angell president Neal Litvack said in a statement.
"I hope today's news offers a collective sigh of relief for the citizens of Cambridge who've demonstrated patience and understanding during the investigative process," said Tom Grenham the MSPCA's director of law enforcement.
