State police made an arrest Tuesday in connection with what they described as the brutal killing of a pet cat in Derry Township.
Police charged Tyler Rost-Maiolie, 27, with aggravated animal cruelty, reckless endangerment and related offenses.
A resident on Guthrie Road, just off Route 981 north of New Alexandria, reported to troopers Tuesday that she saw Rost-Maiolie standing in the street firing a pistol multiple times in the air, according to court papers. The neighbor said the gunfire lasted about 30 minutes.
During the investigation, troopers said they learned Rost-Maiolie had admitted to brutally killing the family’s pet cat and throwing it in a fire pit. Police reported finding the dead feline significantly burned in the fire pit, according to court papers.
Bail was set at $50,000 during arraignment Tuesday afternoon and Rost-Maiolie was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison. An attorney was not listed in court records. A preliminary hearing is set for April 22.