Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 21-year-old Moises L. Germanguerrero of Cheektowaga was arraigned yesterday morning before Cheektowaga Town Court Justice David M. Stevens on two counts of Aggravated Cruelty to Animals (Class “E” felonies). The defendant was charged following investigation by SPCA Serving Erie County into the suspicious deaths of his cats.

It is alleged that on March 29, 2021, the defendant’s girlfriend brought a deceased cat to a veterinary hospital, which was then taken to the SPCA Serving Erie County. A necropsy determined that the cat died from blunt force trauma to the head. The defendant is accused of hitting the cat with a closed fist, which caused the death of the animal.

It is further alleged that on October 18, 2021, the defendant’s girlfriend brought another cat to a different veterinary hospital to be treated for head trauma. The cat was taken to the SPCA Serving Erie County where it was euthanized due to the severity of the injury. A veterinarian at the SPCA determined the second cat died from blunt force trauma to the head pending results of a necropsy. The defendant is also accused of fatally injuring the cat by hitting the animal with a closed fist.

Germanguerrero is scheduled to return on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. The defendant was released on his own recognizance as the charges are non-qualifying for bail.

If convicted of all charges, Germanguerrero faces a maximum of 4 years in prison.       

DA Flynn commends SPCA Serving Erie County Officers Jasil Ivory, Tyler Robertson, Lindsey Wood, and Jennifer Maleskis as well as and Detective Terrence Griffin of the Cheektowaga Police Department for their work in this investigation.

“This is a disturbing case of a man accused of killing his own pets. My office will continue to prosecute animal abusers to the fullest extent of the law. I want thank the SPCA for not only their work in this investigation, but also for the work they do every day to help animals in our community,” said Erie County District Attorney John Flynn.

“This is so much more than a job for our officers at the SPCA. These cases become incredibly personal, and elicit heartfelt sentiment amongst members of our team. Just this case alone, particularly for Officer Ivory, represented more than 6 months of discussion and fact-checking and, yes, a range of emotions. I’m incredibly proud of the work performed by the NYS Peace Officers who represent the SPCA every day, and equally-proud of the relationships they’ve formed with other local law enforcement agencies and the District Attorney’s Office. Together with donors who make our services possible, we work tirelessly to end animal cruelty in our region and beyond,” said Beth Shapiro, SPCA Serving Erie County Interim President/CEO.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Megan E. Mahoney of the Animal Cruelty Unit.

As are all persons accused of a crime, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.