CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa (WJAC) — Police in Northern Cambria say a late night domestic dispute has reportedly sent one woman to jail and has resulted in the rescue of more than 100 cats.
Investigators say officers were dispatched to the Philadelphia Avenue home late Wednesday night after 51-year-old Denise Hewitt allegedly threatened to harm a man in his sleep.
According to the criminal affidavit, police allege that Hewitt reportedly wished death upon the man and then threatened to “kill him while he was sleeping.”
Authorities say the dispute reportedly escalated when the man allegedly fired a .38 caliber handgun into the floor, at which time Hewitt then allegedly tried to attack him with a knife.
Police say the man admitted to striking Hewitt several times in an effort to prevent the attack.
After responding to the dispute, Northern Cambria Police Chief Ronald Sharkey has confirmed that investigators reportedly found the home in deplorable conditions, prompting the rescue of more than 100 felines.
Police say some of the animals were allegedly found deceased and being kept in a freezer, and noted that the floors were allegedly “covered in feces.”
Investigators say the surviving cats will be taken to various area animal rescues and humane societies for care.
While no charges have been filed yet in relation to the animal rescue, online court records show that Hewitt is now jailed on charges of aggravated assault and terroristic threats.
She is being held at the Cambria County Prison on $20,000 bail.
