A Miami-Dade man is scheduled to stand trial Monday after authorities say he poisoned his neighbor’s two pet cats in Biscayne Park, killing them. The cats, Little and Stella, were rescues and “beloved family members,” their owner, Katherine, told reporters. Prosecutors say surveillance footage and laboratory tests now sit at the heart of the county’s case.
According to police, a security camera captured 72-year-old Chaim Gubitz setting out aluminum trays and plates of food laced with a crystalline substance along a fence outside the victim’s home, and tests later confirmed the cats had been poisoned, as reported by Local 10. Officers say a doorbell camera recorded the act and that the homeowner trailed the person seen in the footage to a nearby residence before calling police. Investigators later labeled the conduct “cruel, excessive and unnecessary.”
Gubitz was arrested last August and later released on a $5,000 bond, according to court records and local reporting cited by CBS Miami. A veterinarian carried out a necropsy on one of the cats and found evidence consistent with poisoning, the outlet reported. After his arrest, Gubitz told reporters he had put out poison for rats and did not intend to harm pets.
What the charge could mean
Prosecutors have filed animal-cruelty charges that could be pursued as aggravated cruelty depending on what the state is able to prove in court. Under Florida law, aggravated animal cruelty, when an act causes an animal’s cruel death or excessive suffering, is a third-degree felony and can bring fines and possible jail time, according to Florida statutes. Judges may also order counseling and other conditions when the court finds deliberate torture or torment.
Neighbors call for accountability
Residents and animal advocates say the deaths shook the small village and have renewed calls to keep a closer eye on outdoor pets and strays. Miami-Dade Animal Control submitted the suspected substance for laboratory testing and assisted detectives in the investigation, NBC 6 reported.
The case is set to move forward Monday in Miami-Dade court, where jurors could be selected and pretrial motions heard, Local 10 reported. For neighbors who helped care for Little and Stella, the hearing represents a chance to see the evidence laid out in public and to push for accountability. We will monitor the proceedings and report any developments from the courtroom.
