Police and the animal control officer began investigating Dec. 6 after complaints that a dog and cat were inside an apartment at 29 C Bridge St. rented by Meaghan Carabetta, 29, and George W. Rivera Jr., 31. No one had been seen there in about a week and police could not contact the couple, according to court documents.
Ms. Carabetta allegedly called the animal control officer and said she, Mr. Rivera and their child were moving. She said she was returning to the apartment to care for the pets.
A month later, on Jan. 8, police were called to the apartment a second time by neighbors who said the dog was barking all night and scratching at the door. The last time anyone had been at the apartment, Detective Toupin wrote, was likely Dec. 27. The property manager said he fed the animals Jan. 7, a police report states.
An MSPCA officer fed the pets and taped the door on Jan. 8. Police found the tape intact on Jan. 11 and were let in by the property manager. Detective Robert Toupin noted that the pit bull raced out and was caught by animal control. The detective saw that the metal door knob was dented and the door frame was damaged from the dog chewing at it, and feces and urine were piling up on the floor.
"The cat did not come to the door like it always did in the past," Detective Toupin wrote, adding that he and animal control officer noticed a foul odor and began searching for the yellow and white feline.
Between some boxes and the baseboard, they found the cat dead, he wrote.
Police tried several times to find the couple, even using their applications for the town's charitable Christmas program for information. Chicopee police and probation officers from Holyoke District Court were also contacted, but police were unable to locate Mr. Rivera at any of the addresses they suspected he was using. He had also allegedly failed to register as a sex offender. Eventually warrants were issued for Mr. Rivera and Ms. Carabetta.
Ms. Carabetta appeared in Western Worcester District Court in East Brookfield on Thursday and is due back for a pretrial conference April 5. She was ordered not to have any pets.
Mr. Rivera also appeared recently and was held in lieu of $1,000 cash bail on a charge of animal cruelty and failing to register as a sex offender. He was ordered to remain drug- and alcohol-free and submit to random screenings. He is due back in court Feb. 2.
George W Rivera, Registered Sex Offender
Last Known Address: 16 Charles St Apt 3L Chicopee MA 01020
Offense/Statute:Indecent Assault And Battery On Child Under 14 Years Of Age
Adjudication Date:19 October 2000
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