Warning: The details of this story may be too graphic for some.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- North Adams police and the Massachusetts SPCA are investigating a horrible act of animal cruelty after a man went on a rampage in the Berkshire County town.
Authorities say the man broke into at least 3 local businesses and then took his rage out on a 6-year old girl's 17 pet rabbits, killing 5 of them of them.
After the rampage, only 3 rabbits were recovered. The others are believed to have ran away or were dragged off by other animals.
Surveillance video taken around 8.p.m Tuesday night shows the man trying to break into several trucks outside Berkshire County Construction on Ashland Street in North Adams.
Unsuccessful at entering the trucks, the video then shows the man turning his attention to a spot behind a garage where the little girl housed her rabbits. The unidentified suspect then tossed the animals around, stomping on some of them and kicking others - literally tearing some apart with his bare hands. (An excerpt of the security footage can be seen in the upper-right corner of this story)
When NEWS10 crews arrived to the scene Wednesday morning, a Massachusetts SPCA Officer was seen gingerly removing the remains of a white rabbit left hanging from a chain.
The rabbits were raised by the father and daughter of John Duquette, owner Berkshire County Construction.
The little girl's mother, Tracy Duquette, told NEWS10 she does not want to tell her daughter about the crime, and worries that the unidentified man is still on the loose.
"I just don't know what to tell her," Duquette said, fighting back tears, "because I'm sure not going to tell her that monsters really do exist, because that's the only kind of person that would do this – a monster."
She continued, speaking on the suspect, "If they are capable of that, and if they did that with no remorse, no conscience whatsoever, I mean, what are they going to do to a person?"
Before the rabbit killings, authorities say the man busted out windows at a nearby drilling company and tried to break into a trailer at a campground before being chased away.
The suspect is described as a white male, around 5'6" pr 5'8" in height, and between 15- and 21-years of age. In the security footage he was seen wearing black and grey camouflage pants, a black hoodie, a red baseball cap with white panel in front, and carrying a black backpack with a white stripe.
The Massachusetts SPCA has posted a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.
In addition, a local businessman and supporter of NEWS10 Pet Connection, who wants to remain anonymous, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who is responsible for the rabbit killings.
If you know anything about this case, you are asked to contact North Adams police.
CORRECTION: In earlier versions of this story, we incorrectly reported the suspect killing 14 of the rabbits. While 14 were set free, the suspect killed only 5.
Image of the suspect, taken from security footage
NEWS10 ABC
