A prosecutor from the Mahattan DA's office called a man who killed his girlfriend's cat "an angry, jealous, drunken bully" during during opening arguments. Joseph Petcka, a 205-pound former Mets draft prospect and actor, is on trial for animal cruelty after he brutally beat an 8-pound domestic, declawed tabby.
Petcka's lawyer argued that the cat, Norman, actually bit his client's hand, making Petcka's reaction justified. However, Petcka's then girlfriend Lisa Altobelli testified that she once returned home to find Petcka and and a drenched Norman. She also said he was jealous of her feline companion, saying while drunk, "You love Norman more than me." From the Daily News:
She eventually went to sleep and recalled hearing Petcka talking to the cat in a sing-song voice, "Norman, Norman, Norman."
Altobelli said she abruptly woke up after Petcka kneed her in the side and grabbed her neck. He claimed the cat had bitten him.
She grabbed her purse and ran out of the apartment after warning him to leave or she would call the police.
She returned to find Norman under a bedside table, dead and called Petcka, who hung up on her after she asked, "What kind of monster could kill an innocent cat?"
