Man accused of mutilating, killing cat appears in court

HOUSTON – The owner of a cat that was beheaded said he spent days searching his neighborhood for the animal before learning someone had mutilated her.

The cat’s name was Annie and she was about to turn 6 years old. “She was a sweet cat.  All the neighbors knew her,” the owner told reporters at the criminal courthouse Thursday.

Houston Police said Herber Martinez, 23, intentionally used an unknown object to decapitate her on Jan. 7.

Investigators said Martinez placed the beheaded cat into a backpack and brought it with him on the METRORail.

Officials said he then left the animal on a guard rail before exiting the train near BBVA Compass stadium.

Police were able to find Martinez using surveillance video and arrested him the next day.

Martinez told police he found the cat already decapitated in a backpack inside the dumpster of a Jack in the Box near the 3400 block of Navigation.

Police said they doubt his story because of the amount of blood he had on his clothes.  According to court documents, he was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a decapitated head, when investigators interviewed him.

“It hurts, she always wanted to always be around people,” the cat’s owner said.

Martinez is being held at the Harris County Jail on a $15,000 bond.  He faces animal cruelty charges, as well as drug charges.

His next court date is Feb. 19.