Axel Salemi, 18, 'killed cat with his bare hands after sister refused to give his bong back,' court hears

ILLINOIS -- he 18-year-old man accused of killing a kitten with his bare hands had become enraged during an argument with his sister over a bong, a prosecutor said in court Wednesday.

The judge in the case refused to lower the bond for Axel Salemi, 18. He is accused of killing the 7-week-old kitten that his mother, who runs an animal rescue out of their Crystal Lake home, had taken in, officials said.

Salemi is accused of felony aggravated animal cruelty and criminal damage to a domesticated animal.

Salemi's attorney, Assistant Public Defender Grant Tucker, asked that Salemi's bond be reduced to $10,000 from $20,000. Tucker said Salemi is a student at McHenry County College and works at a restaurant in McHenry. The lawyer said that if Salemi is released on bond, he will live in Chicago with his grandfather, who does not own any pets. Tucker also said Salemi will undergo psychiatric counseling.

But Judge Michael Feetterer said that though Salemi is young and presumed innocent, the violent nature of Salemi's alleged crime concerns him.

The judge, addressing Salemi, said he must "consider the safety of not only the public but to yourself. There is some anger in you that needs to be addressed."

Referring to past charges against Salemi and the violent nature of the current allegation, Feetterer said he is concerned that Salemi is "starting to string together criminal offenses at a very young age."

In March, Salemi was charged with domestic battery and consumption of alcoholic liquor by a minor, records show. He later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct, and the alcohol-related charge was dropped, according to court documents. He was placed on court supervision, which was to have ended next June.

Those charges stemmed from an allegation that Salemi struck a female victim in the nose and mouth, drawing blood, and "grabbed her neck," according to the complaint.

Assistant State's Attorney Kate Lenhard called the current case against Salemi "brutal" and said he poses a threat and is a flight risk.

Lenhard said in court Wednesday that before Salemi allegedly squeezed the cat to death, he had argued with his sister over her not returning a water pipe. He then argued with his father, who would not allow him to sell the sister's TV, Lenhard told the judge.

Lenhard said Salemi "purposely crushed (the cat) to death in his hands." He later admitted what he had done to police and told them that killing the kitten "was more difficult than he thought it would be," the prosecutor said.

Lenhard also said that Salemi had called his mother, told her he killed the kitten and "threatened to kill another one if his sister didn't give back his bong."

Following a request from Donna Salemi, Axel's mother, the judge lifted an order preventing Salemi from having contact with his parents. But an order of protection remained in place for Salemi's sister.

Lenhard said Donna Salemi told an official in the state's attorney's office, "Thank God he killed an animal instead of another family member."

Donna Salemi sought to explain those comments when she testified Wednesday, saying she was just glad it was "one situation over another."

She declined to comment after the hearing.

Should Axel Salemi post the required $2,000 of his $20,000 bond, he will be prohibited from having any contact with domesticated animals.

A licensed animal rescue operation called Saving All Our Angels operates out of the Salemis' home, Illinois Department of Agriculture records show, and the rescue is allowed to foster up to four animals at a time, officials said.

After the cat's death, the owner of the animal rescue, as well as McHenry County authorities, contacted a Department of Agriculture field investigator about the case, agency spokeswoman Rebecca Clark said.

Clark said the investigator has visited the rescue site and that the owner is "fully cooperating." The shelter is still operational as the investigation continues, she said.

"At this time, the case remains open as the Department determines what course of action to take regarding the matter," Clark said in an email.

Keri Zaleski, spokeswoman for the McHenry County Health Department, said an agency veterinarian, Lisa Lembke, performed a necropsy on the kitten and determined it died from head trauma.

Axel Salemi is due back in court Dec. 14.

(Chicago Tribune - Nov 26, 2015)