Police had accused Kathy Fowler of stealing cat from neighbor Paul Brule

Charges dropped in Warren cat theft case

By Ted Hayes
Posted 1/16/17

A District Court judge has dismissed the case against a woman charged by Warren police last year with stealing a neighbor’s cat and then lying about it to the Warren Animal Control …

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Police had accused Kathy Fowler of stealing cat from neighbor Paul Brule

Charges dropped in Warren cat theft case

Posted

A District Court judge has dismissed the case against a woman charged by Warren police last year with stealing a neighbor’s cat and then lying about it to the Warren Animal Control Officer.

Kathy Fowler, 51, of Kickemuit Road, learned that theft and obstruction charges were being dropped during an appearance last Friday, Dec. 13, in Sixth Division District Court in Providence. The dismissals come in exchange for a promise by her not to step foot on property owned by her neighbor, Paul Brule.

“That’s fine,” she said. “I’ve never done that anyway.”

Ms. Fowler, who lives across the street from farmer Mr. Brule, was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 6, after police alleged she stole Mr. Brule’s cat some weeks prior and then lied about where she found it.

Ms. Fowler said the cat was having trouble breathing and since the Warren Animal Hospital was closed at the time, she brought the cat to the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA). The cat stayed there until RISPCA officials handed it over to the Warren Animal Shelter. Soon after, the Brules came to the shelter looking for a missing cat and identified it as being theirs.

Soon after, on Sept. 6, Ms. Fowler received a visit from a police officer who informed her that there was a warrant for her arrest for stealing the animal and obstructing an officer of the town — the Warren Animal Control Officer. She was cuffed, read her rights and brought down to the station.

As for lying, Ms. Fowler admitted telling officials that she found the cat on her mother’s property.

Over the next four months, Ms. Fowler said she appeared in court no fewer than eight times, rejecting all plea offers presented to her by prosecutors. The last appearance came Friday, when she said assistant Warren solicitor Peter Skwiz told her prosecutors would agree to drop the obstruction charge if she pleaded guilty to stealing the cat. There would be some community service, he added.

“I said, ‘No, I’m not going to plead guilty to this,’” she said.

Soon after, prosectors informed the District Court judge that they were dropping all charges against Ms. Fowler, and the judge closed the case.

“It should have never gotten this far,” Ms. Fowler said later. “I’m lucky I have a job that gives me enough flexibility to be able to go to court eight Fridays. I can see why some people give up — but there was no way I was going to agree to something that didn’t happen.”

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