3 accused of stockpiling nearly 200 cats at Connecticut home face more than 100 animal cruelty charges each

Three adults have been charged with more than 100 counts of animal cruelty each after nearly 200 cats were found in a Winchester, Connecticut home in June, authorities said Thursday.

Sixty-one-year-old James Tomen Jr., 53-year-old Laura Tomen and 30-year-old Marissa O’Brien were arrested Oct. 19 on 106 counts of animal cruelty each, according to the Winchester Police Department. They were also charged with two counts of endangering a minor.

According to police, investigators also have an arrest warrant for a fourth person.

Authorities first became aware of the hoarded animals when they arrived at a home located in the Winsted community on June 13 after receiving an anonymous call about a sick cat. When they arrived, they “noticed a strong odor of urine” coming from the home, according to a police news release.

In addition to finding the animals, police found eight people living in the home, including the three suspects and two young children. The children, a 6-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy, were immediately picked up by the state Department of Children and Family Services and placed with relatives, police said.

Winchester City Manager Josh Kelly, who helped organize the rescue of the hoarded animals, said on Facebook that a total of 189 cats, two dogs and one ferret were removed from the home. After a veterinary examination, all of the animals were either adopted or moved to shelters and rescues just over a month after they were found in the home.

At the time authorities found and rescued the animals, the residents of the home told police they had tried to help the cats but things had gotten out of hand, Winchester Police Chief William Fitzgerald said at a press conference in June.

“The owners said they were just trying to keep the animals from freezing outside and one (thing) led to another and (they) started feeding them and (it) suddenly got out of hand,” Fitzgerald said.

The court of the suspects taken into custody is scheduled for November 1.