New details revealed in break-in, animal murder criminal complaint

Anne Halliwell

Angela Spears, 2021

(ABC 6 News) – The criminal complaint against a woman suspected of breaking into a Rochester home and killing a cat reveals new details.

According to court documents, Kaylee Pearson, the alleged victim of the break-in, entered her apartment at about 10:01 p.m. June 30, saw signs that it had been "ransacked," and immediately exited and called law enforcement.

Responding police officers reported that they cleared the apartment, then found the suspect, 36-year-old Angela Spears, on the apartment porch, with Pearson’s deceased cat, Joey.

Spears faces multiple felony charges, some of which include second-degree burglary, possession of burglary or theft tools, fifth-degree drug possession along with a misdemeanor fourth-degree intentional damage to property and a gross misdemeanor charge related to torturing an animal.

In messages to ABC 6 News, Pearson accused Spears of "strangling" her cat. However, the criminal complaint describes no obvious signs of trauma to the cat, which was surrounded by broken shards of pottery — suggesting that he died when pottery was thrown or dropped on him.

Officers also found Spears’ backpack in the apartment, which contained a baggie with drug paraphernalia, a small amount of marijuana, and about 0.6 grams of what the presume was methamphetamine.

Spears previously faced arson charges from a condo fire in June of 2021, as well as property damage charges from allegedly vandalizing vehicles in March of that year.

Spears will make her initial appearance in Olmsted County Court July 14. She is currently held on $20,000 bail.