Man arrested after dead cats found duct taped in trash chute

LONG ISLAND, New York -- A man is facing serious charges after dead kittens and cats were found in his building.

Justin Visconti, 37, is facing four counts of aggravated animal cruelty.

A resident and building employees discovered several dead animals in the trash chute at the Porter Regency building. They made the discoveries over several different occasions.

The cats were wrapped in duct tape, cardboard boxes and sheets. Investigators said the kittens and cats died from blunt force trauma.

"These cats were badly mutilated, these cats were tortured by some means," said Jed Painter with the Nassau DA Animal Crimes Unit. "We had multiple broken bones. In fact, one of the animals, pretty much every single bone in the body was broken."

The animals did not belong to Visconti and it is not clear where they came from. Officials say he does live in the building.

Visconti's neighbor's found out about the deaths when police officers began knocking on doors, asking residents if they were missing their cats.

Others say they got a letter about the grizzly discoveries.

"It was put under the door and they said it was another incident of a cat being disposed of," one neighbor said.

Neighbors are now guarding their animals.

"This person needs help. That's terrible that something so innocent that doesn't understand what's happening to do that, that's the worst thing I can think of," neighbor and cat owner Alex Aronowicz said.

Visconti's mother, bewildered by all the reporters at his arraignment, said nothing about her son who was already on probation, after several prior arrests for grand larceny, stalking and aggravated harassment.

Visconti's cash bail on the latest felonies is $20,000.