Franklin Hotel Employee Arrested In Crossbow Death Of Cat

MIAMI BEACH, FL — A 36-year-0ld Miami Beach employee of The Franklin Hotel has been arrested in connection with the crossbow death of a stray cat locals called "Strushie." Georgios Lollias was charged with animal cruelty and tampering with physical evidence after police recovered hotel security video of the cruel attack that had been erased. The unusual cruelty of the case drew outrage from the community and boosted a reward to $27,000.

“It is a great relief that we have found some level of justice for Strushie,” said Miami Beach Police Chief Daniel
Oates in announcing the arrest on Wednesday. “This was a horrific act of animal cruelty. I congratulate our detectives on this arrest and the U.S. Secret Service for the critical assistance they provided to us.” (Sign up for our free Daily Newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Miami Beach Patch.)

Police said that Lollias admitted to shooting the cat twice with the crossbow but did not release a motive.

Strushie was shot twice with a crossbow on April 26 and left to die near The Franklin Hotel, 860 Collins Avenue. That area of South Beach is close to a number of popular restaurants and bars. The animal's injuries were so severe it had to be euthanized.

Ernesto Rodriguez of the Miami Beach Police Department said that detectives obtained the hotel security video through a search warrant. "They suspected that images of the crime may have been deliberately deleted," Rodriguez explained.

"Strushie was a stray cat who lived in the outdoor common area of the Franklin Hotel at 860 Collins in Miami Beach, Florida," according to a Facebook page set up to bring "Justice for Strushie." The page was created by Miami Beach animal lover, Gillian Mirabelle, who also runs the group, Miami Beach Cat Warriors.

The former owner of the Franklin, Eleonora Todaro, put up $20,000 of the reward money while animal rescue groups put up an additional $3,000. Other donors included Stephen Sawitz of Joe's Stone Crab, who added $2,000 and Mitch Novick, owner of the Sherbrooke All Suites Hotel, who added $1,000.

Todaro told a news crew that Strushie was a fixture in the neighborhood when she owned the Franklin. The cat rubbed up against her leg as she arrived for work in the morning and again when she went home at the end of her often hectic work days.

Police said that the beige cat was found barely alive with arrows lodged through its head and neck. One of the arrows had gone through the animal's brain, the rear of his eyes and through its mouth.

Strushie was one of about four regular strays that made their home in the neighborhood.

"I speak out for those who can't speak for themselves," Mirabelle told Patch. "Killing a beloved local stray with a crossbow is barbaric."

Miami Beach police sought assistance from computer forensic recovery specialists in the U.S. Service’s Miami Electronic Crimes Task Force, to recover video from the hotel's security cameras.

According to arrest documents, two security DVRs were formatted within minutes of each other on April 26. "This was done purposefully to erase the recordings contained in the DVR," police said. A video recovered from one of the DVRs "depicted the defendant walking in the hotel courtyard. The defendant was cautiously looking around as he discovered where Strushie was hiding. The defendant then walked away only to return a short time later carry a crossbow in his hand.

"The defendant made obvious attempts to conceal the crossbow from anyone that may be in the area. Again the defendant looking around to make sure he was not noticed, drew the crossbow and slowly placed it into the bushes were 'Strushie' was hiding. The defendant then shot the crossbow causing 'Strushie' to flee from the safety of the bushes. The defendant then concealed the crossbow in a room adjacent to the bushes were 'Strushie' was hiding."

Photo courtesy of Justice for Strushie Facebook Page