Student pleads not guilty in animal abuse case

Christopher Gugliuzza pleaded not guilty to accusations of torturing or mutilating at last one cat via a phone call made by his attorney, Ronald Chapman on Dec. 7, according to online court records.
 
Gugliuzza, a former School of Public and Environmental Affairs student, who has since been suspended, was arrested Dec. 3 after he fled from the Bloomington Animal Care and Control Shelter, stealing Lennox, an orange and white cat he would later admit to beating and strangling.
 
Bloomington police officers arrested Gugliuzza after his girlfriend reported to police she believed Gugliuzza had killed Lennox and that this was not an isolated incident. Lennox was found Dec. 4 and returned to the shelter by two IU students.
 
Gugliuzza admitted to police he killed at least one other cat, and he currently faces preliminary charges of theft and animal cruelty, all felony counts. The pretrial conference will take place Feb. 14.

— Kirsten Clark