Crime & Safety

Accused Cat Killer Pleads Not Guilty, Heading to Jury Trial

Scott Allen Eberspacher, 34, waived his right to an omnibus hearing and is scheduled for trial on March 5.

A 34-year-old Cottage Grove man accused of killing an Oakdale family's cat and causing more than $1,000 in damages to their home pleaded not guilty to the charges in Washington County court Wednesday morning.

Scott Allen Eberspacher, through his attorney, also waived his right to an omnibus hearing, instead opting to move straight to trial.

District Court Judge John C. Hoffman entered Eberspacher's plea Wednesday morning and scheduled a jury trial for March 5 at 8:30 a.m.

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According to a criminal complaint filed on Nov. 29, 2011: 

Eberspacher was staying at an Oakdale home on Oct. 11 when one of the homeowners returned to find a glass coffee table, dishes and other items in the house broken, a hole in one wall, dents in other walls and blood stains throughout the residence.  

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The complaint states Ebserspacher was at the home but "appeared to be passed out and intoxicated on (the homeowner's) couch." The homeowner and her daughter noticed their cat missing soon thereafter.

According to the complaint, Eberspacher denied any wrongdoing at that time and left the home, driving off in his vehicle. He contacted the homeowner via text message later that evening and apologized for the damage he caused and told her the cat ran away. 

Eberspacher allegedly continued denying knowledge of the whereabouts of the family's cat until Nov. 11 when Oakdale police confronted him with pictures of the deceased animal, which was found in the family's garage.

Eberspacher claimed that the cat was injured when he landed on it after falling through the glass coffee table. He claimed the injuries to the cat were accidental and that "he did not mean to hurt the cat." 

Doctors from the Forest Lake Veterinary Hospital conducted an autopsy on the cat on Oct. 18. According to the complaint, the autopsy reported a "significant amount of trauma to several areas of the cat's body."

All told, the cat was reported to have mild and acute trauma to the thorax and abdomen—which led to bleeding in the abdominal cavity—and hemorrhages of the brain and lungs.

Veterinarians told police the injuries to the cat were not consistent with accidental injury. 

Throughout the investigation Eberspacher has maintained he experienced a "psychotic break" on the night in question due to the news that mother was dying, the complaint states.  

Eberspacher is being charged with mistreatment/torture of an animal and first-degree criminal damage to property—both of which are felonies.  

The property damage charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and $10,000 in fines, while the mistreatment charge carries with it two years and a $5,000 fine. 


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