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Man arrested in Daejeon for allegedly burning stray cats

Published: 06 Apr. 2026, 20:37

Images of cats that suffered burn injures and were later rescued [CARE]

A suspected animal abuser who allegedly tortured stray cats by inflicting burns was arrested, the Daejeon Dongbu Police Precinct said Monday.

The suspect has been accused of inflicting burn injuries on the heads of two stray cats near a parking lot of a commercial building in Gao-dong in Dong District in Daejeon around February.

Including the two cats discovered injured in February, a total of seven cats were found with severe burn injuries near the same parking lot area between July last year and last month.

The rescued cats had suffered injuries to their eyes, noses, ears and front paws that were so severe that they were barely recognizable.

Most either died or were euthanized due to the severity of their injuries.

Police launched an investigation after receiving complaints in December last year from animal rights group Care and the city’s Daedeok District Office. Based on the assumption that a single person had committed the offenses, investigative authorities narrowed down their search scope to the apprehended suspect.

While some animal groups said chemical compounds may have been used in the attacks, citing veterinary diagnoses and autopsies showing no lung damage, police believe they were carried out using a torch or open flame.

The suspect reportedly admitted to some of the charges during police questioning. Police will review whether to file a detention warrant after investigating additional offenses.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]