Incident Date: Sunday, Jun 5, 2011
County: Clark
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» Jaren M. Koistinen
» Riley J. Munger
» Mitchell S. Kangas
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
An investigation by Battle Ground Police into a cat being shot Sunday led to the arrest of three teens who are allegedly responsible for five cases of cats being shot in the area.
At just before 8 p.m. June 5, Battle Ground police were investigating a report that a cat had been shot in the 700 block of Northeast 3rd Avenue. Police saw a vehicle attempting to leave the area that matched the vehicle description of a suspect. Police were able to catch up to the vehicle and stopped it in the 400 block of Northwest Onsdorff Blvd.
As police approached the blue Ford Explorer, they saw several .22 caliber shell casings. The three males in the vehicle -- two of whom are 16 and one of whom is 17 -- were taken into custody and booked into juvenile detention. Criminal charges of drive by shooting, unlawful discharge of a firearm, animal cruelty and possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle are being filed. Two .22 caliber rifles were recovered from the vehicle along with several hundred rounds of ammunition. One of the rifles was loaded when it was recovered by the officers.
This investigation will close five cases from the last few months of cats being reported shot within Battle Ground City limits and several others just outside City limits. The three boys admitted to shooting at least 50 cats. Further investigations are ongoing with Clark County Sheriff's department.
Three teenagers who were expected to be appear in court this morning on charges relating to an alleged shooting rampage of 100 cats agreed to postpone their arraignment until June 28.
Mitchell S. Kangas, 16, Jaren M. Koistinen, 16, and Riley J. Munger, 17, will be formally charged at 1:30 p.m. June 28 in Clark County Superior Court.
Prosecutors have yet to file charges, but have said they are considering charges of drive-by shooting and animal cruelty among other allegations.
Koistinen and Kangas are sophomores at Battle Ground High School and Munger is a junior at La Center High School.
The three were arrested Sunday night in Battle Ground after a resident reported that her cat was shot in the face. She saw the shooters and described their SUV to police, according to court documents.
When the teens' Ford Explorer was stopped by a police officer minutes later, a loaded rifle and several hundred rounds of ammunition were found inside, according to Battle Ground police. When questioned, Kangas allegedly admitted to shooting 50 cats in northern Clark County over the past two months, according to court documents.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor Camara Banfield said at the teens' first court appearance that investigators believe at least 100 cats were shot.
All three have been released from the Clark County Jail after posting bond.
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