ONTARIO, Oregon — An Idaho man faces two felony counts of aggravated animal abuse after his ex-girlfriend's home surveillance cameras captured two separate incidents involving her cats.
Teddi Houston says her ex-boyfriend, David Lee Evans, entered her Ontario, Oregon, home without permission — and that Ring camera footage she shared with Idaho News 6 appears to show him harming both of her cats.
Houston said she first discovered the footage in December when she opened her Ring camera app while at work. The video appears to show Evans entering her house without permission around 4:23 a.m. and spending nearly an hour in a spare bedroom before taking her cat, Fat Pants, into the bathroom. Cries from the cat are audible on the recording.
WATCH | Ring camera footage leads to felony animal abuse charges in Ontario:
A subsequent clip appears to show Evans carrying the cat outside in a bucket and throwing him over a fence into an alley.
That December incident prompted Houston to review months of prior surveillance footage — and that's when she says she discovered what happened to her other cat, Cassie, who had disappeared two months earlier.
"He helped me look for her," Houston said. "He seemed concerned."
Video from Oct. 30 appears to show Evans bringing Cassie into a bedroom. Idaho News 6 reviewed dozens of surveillance clips shared by Houston. What follows in the footage is difficult to watch. We have chosen not to air that portion of the video, but it appears to show Evans striking the cat multiple times while she attempts to get away. The video later shows Evans leaving the home with a backpack. Houston believes Cassie may have been inside.
"I had already kind of made my peace with the fact that she was gone and then to find out that something horrible happened to her," Houston said. "It was just really hard."
Evans now faces two counts of aggravated animal abuse, both felony charges. In Oregon, each charge can carry up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $125,000.
Evans has not yet entered a plea and is presumed innocent. He is expected in Malheur County Court on Nov. 18.
Ontario Police declined to comment on the case. Idaho News 6 also reached out to Evans and had not received a response as of publication.
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