Cat beaten to death with golf club

The female motorist phoned 911 at 8:16 a.m. to report Kelly beating a black cat with golf club in the front of a house in the 1500 block of Monte Diablo Avenue. She told police she tried to break up the attack but Kelly threatened her with the club. Responding officers found Kelly and the dead cat in the yard, said San Mateo police Lt. Tom Daughtry.

The woman estimated seeing the cat receive about 30 blows, said Peninsula Humane Society spokesman Scott Delucchi.

PHS picked up the cat at 8:42 a.m. and performed a necropsy within the hour. The report lists bludgeoning and severe head trauma as the cause of death, Delucchi said.

Kelly told officers he was frustrated because the cat continually wandered onto his property and tried to come inside the house, Daughtry said. When he saw the cat Tuesday morning, Kelly reportedly became enraged and attacked the cat with the club.

Police are now trying to figure out who owned the cat. The adult female animal appeared domestic and had medium brownish-black fur. There was also a spay scar, leading investigators to believe even more strongly that the cat belongs to somebody, Delucchi said.

"Somebody had to pay to have this cat altered. Plus, if she was going to the yard she's at least somewhat tame. That's inconsistent with a feral cat," Delucchi said.

There was no collar, tag or microchip on the cat. No neighbors at the scene claimed or identified the animal.

Daughtry said the cat-killing is a "rare incident" for the department but Kelly is the second San Mateo man this year to face similar charges.

In February, David Karl Schappert narrowly escaped trial by pleading no contest to a lesser charge. Schappert was charged with animal cruelty after his neighbor's 10-year-old domestic black cat, Jou-Jou, was discovered dangling from the owner's fence by a necktie. Schappert said he used a slipknot to pull the cat from behind his television but the animal fled and hung itself.

In Kelly's case, the animal cruelty charge can be either a misdemeanor or a felony, Delucchi said.

Maya said it is just too early to tell what degree of charge, if any, Kelly will face. He expects to receive the case report this morning.

Kelly remains in custody in lieu of $25,000 bail. He has no prior record of similar incidents, Daughtry said.

Anyone with information about the Kelly incident or the cat's identity is asked to contact the San Mateo Police Department Investigation Division at 650-522-7650 or the Secret Witness Line at 650-522-7676.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 104. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.