Warrant Out for Boyfriend Charged With Cooking Cats

A bench warrant was issued Thursday for the arrest of a Torrance man charged with killing his girlfriend’s two cats by cooking them in a microwave oven.

The warrant for Larry Richard Heine, 31, a self-employed tow truck operator, was issued by Torrance Municipal Judge Josh Fredricks after Heine failed to appear in court for trial. Bail was set at $5,000.

Heine is charged with two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals owned by someone else. If found guilty, he could face a maximum sentence of two years in jail and a fine of $4,000. An earlier trial ended in a mistrial June 30.

Thought to Be in Michigan

Heine is believed to be in Michigan with family members, according to City Prosecutor J. D. Lord. Heine’s attorney was not available for comment Thursday.

The charges stem from an incident Oct. 26 at Heine’s home in the 4200 block of 172nd Street, Lord said.

After an argument with his girlfriend, Lori Stevens, Heine went to the home of a neighbor, Patsy Mikami, where he believed Stevens was staying. There, he announced that if she did not return home, he would cook the cats, according to Mikami’s testimony at the first trial.

Soon afterward, Mikami testified, Heine returned and showed her one of the cats, which was convulsing and foaming at the mouth.

“Their hair was sticking up like it had been moussed,” she said. “He said, ‘This is to show you that I mean business.’ ”

Heine dropped the cat into the neighbors’ back yard and left, Mikami said. Minutes later he brought out the second cat and threw it into the yard with the first, Mikami said, adding that he later retrieved the cats. They have not been seen since.

In Oven for 30 Seconds

Lord said Heine told police later that night that he had put the cats into the oven for about 30 seconds. Torrance Police Sgt. Jack McDonald said Heine was taken into custody and driven to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for a psychiatric evaluation. He was released soon afterward.

The city prosecutors’ office filed misdemeanor charges two days later after the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office decided not to file felony charges. Heine was arrested when he appeared at the police station in an attempt to recover the microwave oven and a semiautomatic pistol that officers had confiscated.

Inside the oven, which is still being held as evidence, detectives discovered what appeared to be cat hairs, McDonald said.