A dispute over who gets the cat has landed a 23-year-old Cincinnati man in serious legal trouble after police say he forced his way into a Westwood apartment and assaulted the woman inside. The May 19 incident on Westwood Northern Boulevard left the resident shaken but not hospitalized, and the suspect now faces a first-degree felony.
Court records identify the defendant as Jeremiah Johnson, 23, who allegedly pushed into the woman's apartment, hit her in the face, and knocked over her television, according to WKRC. Prosecutors say the conflict was over ownership of the woman's cat. Johnson has appeared in Hamilton County court on an aggravated burglary charge.
What aggravated burglary means in Ohio
Under Ohio law, aggravated burglary occurs when a person, "by force, stealth, or deception," trespasses in an occupied structure while someone is present and either inflicts or attempts to inflict physical harm or has a deadly weapon. The offense is a felony of the first degree under the Ohio Revised Code. First-degree felonies carry an indefinite prison term with a minimum of three and an eleven-year maximum, set out in the Ohio Revised Code.
Pet disputes sometimes escalate
Arguments about pets may sound petty until someone ends up in handcuffs. In April, a Portland man was arrested after an alleged stabbing during a fight over a cat, as reported by KPTV. And in Nashville, police arrested a man after an incident in which a cat was allegedly thrown at a bookshelf, according to WSMV. Taken together, the cases show that pet ownership battles can escalate quickly into criminal charges.
