San Jose

DA Releases Photos of Cat Collars Linked to San Jose Man Charged With Animal Cruelty

The Santa Clara County District Attorney on Friday released photos of two cat collars, hoping their owners will come forward and help them further investigate a man already charged with three felony counts of animal cruelty.

The first collar is black with a pattern of a white chain link looped around it. The second collar is  pink, coated with glitter. Small bells are attached to both.

Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Ellis is overseeing the case of Robert Farmer, 24, of San Jose, who was once in the possession of these cat collars. Prosecutors say they belonged to a spayed female orange tabby about three to five years old.

Farmer is now in custody, as prosecutors say he killed the long-haired cat, which has been missing before Oct. 8, the date Farmer was arrested with a dead cat in his car.

Court documents show that Farmer is also connected to at least three other cases of animal abuse, burglary and violence.

On Sept. 21, Farmer was allegedly caught on video as the person stealing another orange tabby cat named "Gogo" from a house in San Jose and running away.  Records also indicate he tied a cat's legs up and threw it against a wall. And when he was young, a friend told authorities that Farmer said he had killed cats as a kid.

In 2011, Farmer was arrested in Los Gatos on suspicion of attacking his father at the family home, using a key between his middle fingers to stab him. Farmer was kicked out because of his heavy use of meth, according to court records.

In 2012, Farmer was arrested on suspicion of burglary.

Anyone with information about the collars should email Detective Lauren Erickson at 3904@sanjoseca.gov.

NBC Bay Area's Pete Suratos contributed to this report.

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