Glenview Man Drowns Neighbors' Cat After Threats, Prosecutors Say

GLENVIEW, IL — Authorities said a Glenview man killed two cats, including his neighbor's pet, after complaining that neighborhood cats were bothering his dog.

Lovell Johnstone, 64, of the 3400 block of Ralmark Lane, was charged with one count of aggravated cruelty to animal following his arrest Monday evening, according to police and prosecutors.

Around 6 p.m. that night, Johnstone walked into the lobby of the Glenview Police Department and talked to police voluntarily, according to Cook County State's Attorney Rowland Edwards.

Johnstone spoke about "issues he has with feral cats and cats in the neighborhood attacking his dog" and told two Glenview detectives that he had drowned a cat, the prosecutor said.

Less than an hour later, police got a call from Johnstone's neighbors, who reported that he had killed their cat, Edwards told the judge Wednesday at Johnstone's initial court appearance.

"They informed officers that [Johnstone] threatened to kill their cat in November of 2021," Edwards said. "[His neighbors] relayed that [Johnstone] sent a text message to [one of them] on March 13 where he described that they had to do something about this problem and get rid of the two cats because they were causing harm to his dog."

The next day, Edwards said, the neighbor smelled a foul stench coming from the trash bin at the end of Johnstone's driveway. She looked inside and found two dead cats, one of which was later identified as her pet via microchip. The owner of the other cat has not been identified.

After Johnstone was taken into custody, he denied having killed the cats and claimed that he found them dead in his yard, according to the prosecutor.

Police reported both dead cats were wet, and a veterinarian determined they did not die of natural causes and were likely drowned.

"Officers interviewed other neighbors who made similar complaints that [Johnstone] was antagonizing them because of their cats," Edwards said.

Defense attorney Tim Biasello said Johnstone is a grandfather who has owned his Ralmark Lane home for more than 20 years. He said Johnstone owns his own plumbing business and would comply with any bail conditions imposed by the judge.

"We believe that he's not a flight risk, judge," Biasello said. "He's a homeowner. There he lives, he's with his family, he's entrenched in the community."

Cook County Associate Judge Anthony Calabrese was told by court staff that Johnstone has five prior convictions for violent crimes, but all of them were classified as misdemeanors and none resulted in a state prison sentence. They included three assault or battery convictions, most recently in 2008, and a conviction for attempted deviant sexual assault in 1982.

"I suppose one becomes enabled at some point," Calabrese said, "if the system isn't willing to take the steps necessary to prevent conduct from repeating itself."

The extraordinary animal cruelty allegations "may likely cause ill will in the community," the judge told Johnstone, before setting the cash portion of his bond at $5,000. He also ordered Johnstone not to have any contact with the neighbors whose cat he is accused of killing.

"The killing of someone's companion pet, alleged here, and with some significant proof regarding that allegation, is of grave concern to the court," Calabrese said. "It demonstrates callousness that makes me worry about an individual who has the kind of inclination to take such a drastic step to deprive someone of their companion animal"