Salem Man Held On Animal Cruelty Charges

SALEM, MA -- A disabled Marine veteran was ordered held at least until Tuesday on charges of animal cruelty, malicious injury to a domesticated animal and carrying a dangerous weapon. Peter Rice, 43, of 37 Cabot Street in Salem, is accused of punching and stabbing a kitten to death, sharing photos of the dead animal and then disposing of it. Rice was arrested Tuesday after a woman in Longmeadow forwarded the pictures to Salem Police.

Rice initially denied knowledge of the cat when police arrived at his apartment and were told by his girlfriend she had been frantically searching for the kitten. According to the Salem News, which first reported this story, Rice eventually admitted to killing the cat while he was "wasted" and told police he needed help.

For more on this story, see the Salem News. Subscribe to Salem Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Patch file photo via Shutterstock.