CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Police say a South Charleston man high on bath salts killed his neighbor's pygmy goat and that neighbors found him in his bedroom, dressed in women's underwear, next to the dead animal, said Lt. Bryan Stover of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department.
Mark Thompson, 19, of Greenview Road is charged with animal cruelty after police got a call from a woman who said he stole her goat at about 3:15 a.m. Monday, Stover said.
Police took the dead animal to a local veterinarian to perform a necropsy, said Cpl. Sean Snuffer, a detective with the sheriff's department.
"We know the animal had at least one stab wound," Snuffer said. "They are also searching for signs of sexual trauma. From what I understand when the individuals found him his pants were down."
According to witnesses, they entered Thompson's house while searching for the animal and found Thompson standing by the goat, half naked and wearing a bra and panties. The goat was lying on the floor with blood coming from its neck, neighbors told police.
Thompson ran from the house and into the woods before police arrived, Stover said. Police got a search warrant, and searched the woods for Thompson, who was found and taken into custody several hours later.
Thompson allegedly told police he was on bath salts for about three days.
Snuffer said the people in the community where Thompson lives told police they have been concerned about his mental health.
"I don't think they are very happy, the community over there," he said. "From what I understand they have been fearful of him before."
Thompson had lived in the house with his parents, but Snuffer said its believed that they didn't live there any longer.
Snuffer said there was no immediate signs that he had harmed other animals.
"There were other animals in the house, but as far as signs of other being harmed, I don't think there was. I think they found some chicken feathers in the house," he said.
Police are continuing their investigation. Thompson was arraigned Monday afternoon and taken into custody by Adult Protective Services.
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