A man who police say killed a cat, then left its body and a threatening note at a Manchester home in October of last year was sentenced to five years in prison and four years of special parole for cruelty to animals in a Hartford courtroom Thursday, July 25, 2013.
According to the Hartford Courant, Johnen Velez was accused of killing a cat and then leaving it in a pillow case tied to the railing of a home on East Middle Turnpike. A threatening note stating "You're next" was also found on a vehicle in the home's driveway, and prosecutors said Velez's fingerprints were found on the note.
Velez denied killing the cat, according to the Courant. The East Middle Turnpike residence where the incident occurred was home to a man who was dating Velez's ex-girlfriend, according to police.
Velez also plead guilty to a separate charge of third-degree assault and violation of a probation from a fight on a bus in August of 2012, according to the Courant.
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