Cambridge man who claimed to be a good Samaritan helping an injured cat is charged with torturing it - and two others

By adamg on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 9:23am

Cambridge Police and the MSPCA say they've arrested an East Cambridge man animal cruelty charges for the cats that were tortured between March and May. One of the cats was found dead; the other two were brought in for treatment and survived.

Police say postings made by Rashad Goober, 31, on NextDoor after a cat named Buddy showed up at home with what turned out to be chemical burns in early May helped focus their attention on him. Police were already investigating the death of a cat named Gosha, found with much of its fur stripped, its rear legs bound with tape and its body riddled with injuries from BB pellets. Gosha had been shot 11 times.

During the course of the investigation, it was determined that Gober claimed to find Buddy in his backyard and brought it in his apartment for medical attention. Gober had allegedly notified the owner through a neighborhood social networking app that he found the cat and returned Buddy to her. After investigating tips submitted from the community and gaining further information during their investigation, the Cambridge Police and the MSPCA recovered key evidence in these cases from the defendant’s apartment, vehicle and phone.

In addition to the injuries to Gosha and Buddy, Gober was also charged with shooting a cat named Tammy with a BB gun on March 3 or 4, police say.

Gober, arrested at his home this morning, is scheduled for arraignment today in Cambridge District Court, police say. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.

In a statement, Police Commissioner Branville Bard, Jr., said:

We recognize and can understand the great alarm these cases caused to the East Cambridge community and particularly to the cat owners. We have invested significant resources and closely collaborated with the Animal Commission, the MSPCA, and Middlesex District Attorney’s Office to ensure justice would be served following these very disturbing acts.

Innocent, etc.

Neighborhoods:

Cambridge

Topics:

Crime

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Comments

Disgusting

By Notfromboston on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 9:40am.

Disgusting

Sick

By BobGoblin on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 9:42am.

F’er. Lock him up and make sure he gets some psychiatric help. People like this don’t stop at animals, it’s just a start.

That doesn't sound like a

By Notfromboston on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 10:00am.

That doesn't sound like a scientific fact. There are psychopaths around (more so in certain professions) but the majority of them never cross the line into murder, etc.

Really?

By lbb on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 10:49am.

Your assertions don't sound like "scientific fact" either, and your argument is a strawman. The original commenter said nothing about "murder, etc.", only that someone who abuses animals rarely stops there. I'm not a clinician, and I'm guessing the original commenter isn't either, but are you? If not, maybe try another approach if you want to promote facts.

There's a pretty well studied

By pcannon on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 1:57pm.

There's a pretty well studied link between animal abuse and violence towards people -- the HSUS fact page references a couple studies with a correlation between animal abuse and human violence in several categories, the strongest being domestic violence.

Count me in favor of the guillotine as the preferred psychotherapy for this guy (if found guilty).

Jeffrey Dahlmer comes to mind.

By Lee on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 2:12pm.

He started out torturing and killing animals as a child. Eventually moved on to humans when he got older.

Great work MSPCA and CPD!

By iamblued on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 9:53am.

This case horrified many of us due to the deliberately public nature of the abuse, but it’s important to remember that the majority of abuse of all kinds occurs in private and is much more difficult to locate, investigate, and prosecute.

Watch for 7 Warning Signs of Animal Abuse:
https://www.arlboston.org/7-warning-signs-of-potential-animal-cruelty

Thanks for that helpful link.

By Lee on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 2:19pm.

To consider also is the abuse of animals in agriculture. Also done in private. A subject that is hard to think about.

This.

By Bob Leponge on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 3:43pm.

You or I would go to jail for treating our dogs in the way that some hog farmers routinely treat their animals as a matter of accepted practice.

horrifying

By Meow Mix on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 10:00am.

This kind of thing makes me absolutely sick to my stomach.

Please, anyone who cares about animals: remember to donate to the organizations who help them!

On that note…

By iamblued on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 10:28am.

The City of Boston Animal Shelter is in the middle of their fundraiser for the Boston Animal Fund. 100% of all donations will go to offset the cost of life-saving surgeries and to providing enrichment such as toys and treats for the animals in our care.

Unfortunately, animal survivors of abuse are considered evidence and must be kept in our shelter for months or even years as the case goes through the courts. Being able to provide some comfort and distraction in the high-stress shelter environment assures the best possible chances of rehoming them.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-city-of-boston-animal-shelter

(We also gratefully accept linens, bedding, toys, and unopened pet food at our shelter in Roslindale!)

hurley street east cambridge

By bostnkid on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 10:33am.

if this happened 20 years ago they would have found rashad somewhere with his legs taped together.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rgober

Rashad J. Gober
Senior Administrative Assistant at Education Resource Strategies

I am an organized, dependable team-player with a keen attention to detail. My goals are to anticipate needs, efficiently manage multiple projects, and provide excellent support to enable the work of high-level executives.

Oh boy. Bad idea.

By lbb on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 2:12pm.

hurley street east cambridge

juxtaposed with

if this happened 20 years ago they would have found rashad somewhere with his legs taped together.

...sure sounds like doxxing with the intention of promoting violence. If I'm wrong about that, perhaps you'll edit your comment to clarify.

How do you know this is the

By Lee on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 2:24pm.

How do you know this is the same person?
If it’s wrong to torture animals, it’s also wrong to torture those who torture them.
I can’t deny I’d not feel too bad euthanizing them.

Turtleboy had a long piece on him today…

By Pete Nice on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 4:48pm.

That’s him.

I'm not completely sure why,

By DrewD on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 10:45am.

I'm not completely sure why, but people hurting animals makes me more angry than people hurting other people.

I won't try to defend this as a rational position, but at an emotional level it just enrages me in an irrational way.

Maybe I feel like there could have been some background argument or social competition when humans are involved (obviously, that's not true as see with the recent Winthrop shootings). I don't know, but I just feel a deep hatred for anyone that torture a cat.

I recognize that this is irrational; children (and probably some adults) can be just as helpless as a pet or stray. Violence between people can be completely unprovoked. I just feel angry.

At a guess...

By lbb on Thu, 07/01/2021 - 10:51am.

I share your feeling, at least to a degree. I think it has to do with the victim's helplessness, dependency and trusting nature. Elder abuse and child abuse are examples of "people hurting people" that provoke a similar reaction in me.