Three teenagers who were arrested June 5 for allegedly shooting more than 100 cats and two dogs over a period of about three months pleaded guilty Wed., Sept. 14, and will be under house arrest until sentencing next month.
Sentencing will be Tues., Oct. 4, 10 a.m., at the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center.
According to court documents, Mitchell S. Kangas, 16, and Jaren M. Koistinen, 17, admitted to shooting at approximately 100 cats and two dogs over a three-month period and both pleaded guilty to 12 counts of first-degree animal cruelty and one count of drive-by shooting.
Riley J. Munger, 17, who said he only participated in one night of the shootings, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree animal cruelty. According to court documents dated Sept. 13, Munger stated that he had only been out with Kangas and Koistinen one time shooting cats and that he had been in the back seat of their vehicle during the shootings.
Munger also stated that although he didn’t shoot any cats, he pointed out two cats for Kangas and Koistinen to shoot. He also admitted that he knew before that particular night that Kangas and Koistinen had been shooting cats for some time.
Koistinen and Kangas face one to two years in a state juvenile institution, while Munger faces a 30-day sentence in Clark County’s juvenile detention facility.
According to the court documents, the boys were arrested June 5 after officers responded to a report of a cat being shot outside of a residence in Battle Ground. After being advised of their Juvenile Miranda Warnings and waiving them, Kangas admitted to shooting about 11 cats that evening, hitting some and missing others. He also admitted that he and Koistinen had driven around Battle Ground, Amboy, Yacolt and other parts of North Clark County and shot at approximately 100 cats, injuring or killing about 50 of them.
Kangas also admitted that he and Koistinen had shot two dogs over this time period. According to court documents, "Kangas stated the rifles that they used to shoot the animals belonged to his dad, and that they are normally kept in a gun safe at home. When asked about why he shot cats, Kangas indicated that he considered it to be like sport hunting."
Koistinen also admitted that he and Kangas had been shooting cats for about 2-3 months and estimated they had shot approximately between 90 to 100 cats. He stated they would drive through neighborhoods looking for cats to shoot, stop the vehicle if they spotted a good target, looked around to see if anyone was watching, aim the rifle with the scope out of the window and would shoot the cats from inside the vehicle.
Kangas and Koistinen were only charged with 12 counts of first-degree animal cruelty because all of the 100 or so cats that the boys estimated that they shot were not accounted for. Only 12 of the animals had owners who actually called the police or who had found physical evidence.
All three teens will remain under house arrest until their sentencing Oct. 4. According to court documents, they may leave their homes to go to school, work and church. They must also report to a probation counselor as directed. Koistinen, Kangas and Munger were also ordered by the judge to have no contact with each other or with any of the victims.
The boys’ parents all assured the judge that they have no firearms in their homes.
Koistinen and Kangas are juniors at Battle Ground High School and Munger is a senior at La Center High School.
