David Genovese of Santa Barbara sentenced to six years and eight months for serial animal cruelty
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – David Genovese of Santa Barbara was sentenced to six years, eight months in state prison after he pled guilty to five counts of animal cruelty.
On Jan. 25, 2025, deputies with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office found a feline with a paracord -a woven nylon core of threads usually contained within a nylon jacket- around its neck and its paws bound with duct tape in Genovese's vehicle stated the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office in a press release Wednesday.
The cat, named Sultan, was found to have significant injuries including broken teeth, bones, and head trauma and was in good health when adopted by Genovese earlier that same morning from a Los Angeles animal shelter detailed the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, a join investigation by Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney's Office found that in 2024, Genovese began "accumulating, torturing, and disposing of cats in the Santa Barbara area".
Between Aug. 4 and Sep. 6 of 2024, Genovese adopted four cats from both the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria Animal Shelters and the location and status of those felines remains unknown shared the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
Genovese was found to have stolen two kittens from the same animal shelter in Los Angeles where he adopted Sultan on Jan. 15, 2025, and the whereabouts of those kittens is also unknown added the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
A warrant was obtained for Genovese's arrest on Jan. 29, 2025, and on the same day, Genovese stole a two-and-a-half-year-old orange tabby cat named Lancelot from a family home in Ventura noted the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
After Genovese's arrest the following day, Lancelot was found dead in Genovese's trunk with his paws bound with packaging tape stated the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
Deputies returned to where Genovese had been arrested later and found a deceased tabby cat "in varying stages of decomposition" about 55 feet from where Genovese had parked explained the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, that tabby cat was found with its paws still bound together with black duct tape which matched the tape found in Genovese's vehicle.
All of the cats that were discovered had extensive bruising, multiple broken legs, all four canine teeth broken, dislocation of their spines, and dislocated tails detailed the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
"Thank you to our local Advanced Veterinary Services (AVS) for their efforts in treating animals in our County and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) for their dedication and assistance in this case," said District Attorney John Savrnoch.
