Marion woman arrested after police find dead cats in apartment

MARION — A 24-year-old Marion woman was arrested Monday after officers found four dead cats in her apartment, which she had not visited in weeks, according to court documents.

Officers were called to Rebecca Pisarcik’s apartment in the 700 block of Bentley Drive at 5:36 p.m. Monday about reported animal neglect. They were told they would find a dead cat in the apartment, and officers confirmed they could see one through Pisarcik’s apartment window, according to an arrest report.

As she was not home, they contacted her at work — and Pisarcik returned home a short time later. She gave them consent to go into her apartment, and they found the remains of four cats that “apparently died from neglect.” They were in varying stages of decay, according to police.

One “barely alive” cat “showed obvious signs of malnourishment,” police reported. That surviving cat was taken to Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control.

Pisarcik told investigators they were her cats but she hadn’t been home in about two weeks.

“The defendant further admitted she had not provided any food or water for the cats and had not arranged for anyone to care for the animals,” according to police.

Pisarcik was arrested on four courts of animal neglect resulting in death and one count of animal neglect not resulting in death.

She is being held in lieu of $8,300 in bond. Court documents filed after her initial appearance Tuesday indicate Pisarcik might benefit from its “intensive pretrial mental health reentry and jail diversion program.”

Thus, as a condition of her release, she must be screened for eligibility.

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