Long Island Man Shot His Neighbor's Cats With Pellet Gun: Police

MOUNT SINAI, NY – A 72-year-old Long Island man shot three of his neighbor's cats with a pellet gun, police said.

According to Suffolk Police, a resident of Puritan Drive in Mount Sinai noticed one of his cats was walking with a limp in early September and a veterinarian determined it had been shot with a pellet gun. The cat was euthanized.

The resident called police Thursday at about 9 a.m. after he noticed two of his other cats were limping and a veterinarian determined they also had been shot. The cats are being treated for their injuries.

Following an investigation, it was determined that the man's neighbor, Clifford Nagel, had shot the three cats with a pellet gun, police said.

Police and detectives from the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals charged Nagel with three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, a Class E felony under the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law. Nagel was issued a desk appearance ticket and is scheduled for arraignment at a later date.