Bartlett Police Department was called to a home on Mary Elizabeth Road on Friday for an animal cruelty complaint.
A man told police he went to evict the residents from the home when he found three dead cats in an upstairs bedroom.
He told police one of the cats had been decaying for a long period of time, and after walking around the home, he found large amounts of human and animal feces and urine.
Police determined that Nicole Cate was living there with her two children, a 7-year-old girl and a 7-month-old boy.
Police said both children were living with a large amount of feces and urine under their beds and throughout their rooms.
Police determined Cate, along with Rickey Moore and Winnie Kermick-Cate, intentionally exposed the children to awful living conditions.
Police even found a rabbit roaming around the home, trying to survive.
The police report also says Cate's mentally handicapped sister lived in the home but that her room was caged off. The report says feces were found on the wall and in buckets she reportedly had to use to go to the bathroom.
Rickey Moore, Nicole Cate and Winnie Kermick-Cate
Police say Kermick-Cate is also her primary caregiver. That's why she's also charged with aggravated adult neglect, according to the police report.
Police said Kermick-Cate's daughter was living in a room she never left. The room contained feces and urine stains on the walls and in a pile on the floor.
Moore told police he knew the home was disgusting; he had been living there on and off for two years. He said during that time, he never saw anyone give Kermick-Cate's daughter a bath or give her the opportunity to take a bath. He also told police she was locked in the room like an animal, even describing a time he repaired the lock on her "cage."
Moore told police he knew what was happened to her was wrong, but he didn't believe he had the right to say anything about it.
The two children and 33-year-old were released to live with the children's uncle.
Nicole Cate is charged with three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and two counts of aggravated child abuse and neglect.
Winnie Kermick-Cate is charged with three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, two counts of aggravated child abuse and neglect, and one count of willful abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an adult.
Rickey Moore is charged with three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and two counts of aggravated child abuse and neglect.
One more thing to note, the police report says Moore has a warrant out of Bartlett and a felony warrant out of Tipton County.
WINNIE KERMICK CATE ARREST INFORMATION:
Tennessee: Winnie Kermick
Full Name: Winnie C Kermick
Alias: Winnie Kermick-Cate
Gender: Female
Race: White
Height: 4'08"
Weight: 105
Hair Color: Brown
Hair Length: Medium
Eye Color: Blue
Marital Status: Single
Birthdate: 07/25/1959
(also listed as 7/25/1954)
Arrest Age: 58
Arrest Date: 09/27/2017
Arrest Time: 1:07 PM
Location: Shelby County, Tennessee
Bond: $25,000
Charges
#1 ADULT ABUSE/NEGLECT/EXPLOITATION (FELONY)
#2 ADULT ABUSE/NEGLECT/EXPLOITATION (FELONY)
#3 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#4 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#5 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#6 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#7 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#8 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#9 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#10 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#11 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#12 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
NICOLE CATE ARREST INFORMATION:
Full Name: Nicole Elizabeth Cate
Alias: Nicole Claire-Cate, Nicole Claire, Necci Cate, Necci Claire-Cate
Gender: Female
Race: White, non-Hispanic
Height: 5'02"
Weight: 147
Hair Color: Brown
Hair Length: Medium
Eye Color: Blue
Marital Status: Single
Note: she told police Rickey Moore is her husband
Birthdate: 07/24/1989
Arrest Age: 28
Arrest Date: 09/25/2017
Arrest Time: 7:08 PM
Location: Shelby County, Tennessee
Bond: $25,000
Next Court Date: 03/01/2018, 09:00
Charges
#1 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#2 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#3 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#4 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#5 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#6 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#7 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#8 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#9 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#10 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
NICOLE CATE'S PREVIOUS ARREST:
Arrest Date: 03/01/2017
Charges
#1 DRIVING U/INFLUENCE INTOX/DRUGS
#2 DRIVING U/INFLUENCE INTOX/DRUGS
#3 DRIVING U/INFLUENCE INTOX/DRUGS
#4 DRIVING U/INFLUENCE INTOX/DRUGS
#5 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#6 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#7 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#8 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#9 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#10 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#11 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#12 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#13 DRIVING WHILE LICENSE S/R/C
#14 RECKLESS DRIVING
RICKEY MOORE ARREST INFORMATION:
Full Name: Rickey Moore
Gender: Male
Race: White, non-Hispanic
Birthdate: 08/24/1983
Arrest Age: 34
Date: 09/28/2017
Time: 5:20 PM
Location: Shelby County, Tennessee
Charges
#1 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#2 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#3 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#4 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#5 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#6 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#7 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#8 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#9 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#10 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
* * * * * *
Bartlett Police Department Report # 1709220020
On 09/22/2017 at 18.00 hours, Officer B Stevens (BS459) responded to an animal abuse complaint at 3088 Mary Elizabeth Rd.
On arrival contact was made with the complainant, Vic Thayer, who stated he is a process server for Shelby County and he was at the above residence to evict the residents. Also on the scene were workers for the property management company who were assisting in the eviction process by removing all of the resident’s belongings and placing them on the front lawn.
Upon entering the residence, Mr Thayer was immediately overwhelmed with the smell of feces and urine throughout the residence. He stated that he had difficulty making his way into the residence due to the large amounts of trash that was blocking the front door.
Once his crew got into the residence and starting clearing out the furniture, they noticed large amounts of animal and human feces in piles throughout the entire house After several hours of emptying the residence, Mr Thayer and his crew located three (3) deceased cats in an upstairs room above the carport.
At this time, he contacted BPD and animal control He then located a rabbit that was running loose throughout the residence. Officer Stevens arrived on scene and spoke with Mr Thayer Officer Stevens was able to view a video that Mr. Thayer took upon his initial walk-through of the residence. The video showed boxes and trash stacked halfway to the ceiling in the upstairs room where the deceased cats were found. Officers conducted a walk through of the residence and observed stains on the walls, carpets, ceilings, and floors of feces and urine throughout the entire residence.
Officers were only able to stay inside the residence for short periods of time due to the overwhelming smell of feces and ammonia from the urine.
Officer Stevens made contact with one of the residents/suspect, Nicole Cate. Nicole stated that she lives at the residence with her husband/suspect Rickey Moore, her daughter/victim __ (age 7), son/victim __ (age 7 months old), her mother/suspect Winnie Cate, and her disabled thirty-three (33) year old sister/victim Amanda Cate. Nicole and her husband/suspect, Rickey Moore, live in the upstairs room to the right with their 7 month old son. Their daughter/victim, (age 7), lives in the upstairs bedroom to the left Nicole’s mother/suspect, Winnie Cate, lives in the back downstairs bedroom. The victim Amanda Cate, lives in the front downstairs bedroom next to her mother, Winnie.
In Amanda’s room, Officer Stevens observed rings on the carpet floor from a 5 gallon bucket. Mr Thayer stated that the buckets were removed from the house but that they contained human feces and urine next to where the bed was located. Feces and urine were on the wall and in a pile around where the bucket was located.
Amanda was not on scene at the time of this report, but Nicole advised that she is severely disabled and has the mental capabilities of a four-year-old. Amanda’s mother/suspect, Minnie, has custody of her and is her primary caregiver. She further stated that Amanda stays in her room, does not leave, and will use the buckets to defecate in.
Officer Stevens observed a large pile of animal feces and urine in the upstairs room where the deceased cats were located. One of the cats had decayed to the point in which it’s bodily fluid had begun to seep into the floor.
The urine had also seeped through the floor and was leaking down the wall and ceiling into the room located below. In the 7-year-old’s room at the top of the stairs, officers observed a very large pile of animal feces underneath where her bed was located.
Officer Stevens made contact with Rickey. who stated that he knows the house is disgusting and stated that he has been living there on and off for two years.
In the two years that he has lived there, he has never seen anyone give Amanda a bath or give her the opportunity to take a bath. He stated that he has had to fix the gate on her “cage” before, but he does not go into her room very often. When asked about the “cage”, Rickey stated that Amanda was locked in her room like an animal and she was never able to get out. He knew that what was happening to Amanda was wrong, but he didn’t believe that he had any right to say anything about it.
Due to the residence having a large amounts of trash, human and animal feces throughout, and three deceased cats, officers determined that the two small children’s health and welfare were in danger. Both juveniles could not care for themselves, due to their ages.
Furthermore, officers determined that the suspects intentionally exposed the children and disabled adult to horrible living conditions that constitute a gross deviation from the standard of care that an ordinary parent or custodian would exercise under normal circumstances.
Rickey Moore, Nicole Cate and Winnie Kermick-Cate
Rickey Moore and Nicole Cate were placed under arrest and both charged with Aggravated Child Neglect x2 and Aggravated Animal Cruelty x3. Winnie Kermick-Cate was also placed under arrest and charged with Aggravated Child Neglect x2, Aggravated Adult Neglect and Aggravated Animal Cruelty x3.
A computer search also revealed that Rickey Moore had a current felony warrant out of Tipton County and a FTA (Failure to Appear) warrant out of Bartlett County.
All three suspects were transported to the Bartlett Jail Animal control disposed of the dead cats and took the surviving rabbit to the animal shelter. Detective Dunlap was contacted and made scene. He spoke with the complainant suspects, and animal control. He took digital photographs on scene and placed them into evidence. Mr Thayer also provided digital photographs from inside the residence and they were placed into digital evidence. DOS was contacted and advised of the situation. The DOS agent provided report #745830988. Amanda and the two juveniles were released to their maternal uncle, Kirby Cate.
(WMC - September 28, 2017)
