Blotter: Spencer man arrested for animal cruelty, accused of shooting cat

Published 7:32 pm Sunday, August 16, 2020

By Natalie Anderson
natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com

SPENCER — A 32-year-old man was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly shot someone else’s cat, leading to one of the cat’s front legs being amputated after it suffered for three days without medical care.

Jeremy Michael Pless, of Spencer, faces a felony count of animal cruelty after allegedly shooting the cat, which belonged to someone else, with a .22 caliber rifle. Pless also faces a misdemeanor charge of shooting firearms within town limits. The shot was fired within Spencer’s municipal boundaries, which violates the town’s code of ordinances § 130.05(C).

Pless was booked into the Rowan County Detention Center with a secured bond of $7,500.

In other weekend arrest reports:

  • Jessica Leigh Bazemore, 30, of Salisbury was charged Friday with five counts of misdemeanor larceny after allegedly stealing $200 worth of meat, chips, drinks, laundry detergent and other household items at multiple Food Lion locations in Salisbury and China Grove. She currently has a secured bond of $20,000.
  • Timothy David Williamson Jr., 31, of Landis, was charged Friday in connection with Bazemore’s alleged larceny. Williamson was charged with five misdemeanor counts of aiding and abetting larceny with Bazemore across multiple Food Lion locations in Salisbury and China Grove. He currently has a secured bond of $15,000.
  • Samantha Tidwell, 26, of Salisbury was charged Friday with a felony count of larceny of motor vehicle, a felony count of larceny of a firearm and a misdemeanor count of injury to personal property. Tidwell allegedly stole a 2016 Ford F-150 with a value of $30,000 along with a Glock model 36. Tidwell also allegedly damaged the truck.
  • Timothy Lee Hamilton, 59, of Salisbury, was charged Sunday with four felony counts of possession with intent to sell/distribute cocaine. Hamilton currently has a secured bond of $3,000.

Contact reporter Natalie Anderson at 704-797-4246.

About Natalie Anderson

Natalie Anderson covers the city of Salisbury, politics and more for the Salisbury Post. She joined the staff in January 2020 after graduating from Louisiana State University, where she was editor of The Reveille newspaper. Email her at natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com or call her at 704-797-4246.

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