Dead kittens and cats found in trash chute, New York man arrested

MINEOLA, N.Y. -- A Long Island man is facing serious charges after dead kittens and cats were found at his building in Nassau County, New York.

Justin Visconti, 37, is facing four counts of aggravated animal cruelty.

A resident and building employees discovered several dead animals in the trash chute at the Porter Regency building on Lincoln Avenue in Mineola. They made the discoveries over several different occasions.

The cats were wrapped in duct tape, cardboard boxes and sheets. Investigators said the kittens and cats died from blunt force trauma.

"These cats were badly mutilated, these cats were tortured by some means," said Jed Painter with the Nassau DA Animal Crimes Unit. "We had multiple broken bones. In fact, one of the animals, pretty much every single bone in the body was broken."

The animals did not belong to Visconti and it is not clear where they came from. Officials say he does live in the building.

Visconti's neighbor's found out about the deaths when police officers began knocking on doors, asking residents if they were missing their cats.

Others say they got a letter about the grizzly discoveries.

"It was put under the door and they said it was another incident of a cat being disposed of," one neighbor said.

Neighbors are now guarding their animals.

"This person needs help. That's terrible that something so innocent that doesn't understand what's happening to do that, that's the worst thing I can think of," neighbor and cat owner Alex Aronowicz said.

Visconti's mother, bewildered by all the reporters at his arraignment, said nothing about her son who was already on probation, after several prior arrests for grand larceny, stalking and aggravated harassment.

Visconti's cash bail on the latest felonies is $20,000.

The Nassau County SPCA is urging the public to stay vigilant about animal cruelty.

Nassau PD and Nassau SPCA say if you have a missing cat near Visconti's building at 100 Lincoln Avenue in Mineola, you can call Crimestoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or Call the Nassau County SPCA Hotline number, at 516-THE-SPCA.