GALVESTON, Texas – A 27-year-old man is accused of stabbing the family cat 12 times after threatening his girlfriend.

Not only that, but police said while that was happening, the man’s 4-year-old child got ahold of an AK-47 rifle and fired it.

Galveston police arrested Mario Eduardo Salinas on Monday at his home in the 5700 block of Avenue Q. He was charged with cruelty to a non-livestock animal, tampering with physical evidence and making terroristic threats to a family member, according to Galveston police.

“He had threatened to chop her up, kill the pets and take the kids,” said Detective Michelle Sollenberger.

On Monday, a family member called police after Salinas made the threats.

Sollenberger said Salinas was upset because his girlfriend “was at work and she wouldn’t come home. He wanted her to come home and help take care of the children.”

She said Salinas “became enraged” and started to remove guns from his safe.

“Once he removed some firearms from his gun safe, he at some point realized the cat urinated on some bedding and directed his anger towards the cat,” said Sollenberger.

Police said Salinas stabbed Snowflake, the family pet, 12 times with a kitchen knife.

While that was happening, authorities said the two children, 3 and 4 years old, started playing with the guns on the bed.

The 4-year-old boy grabbed an AK-47 rifle and fired it. The bullet went through a dresser and through the side of the home, according to Sollenberger.

“It appears at this point the children were simply checking out some guns. They probably had never been exposed to guns, obviously didn’t know firearm safety and the guns were not in a safe position, they didn’t have firearm locks on them and they were lying on the bed,” said Sollenberger.

Investigators said Salinas left with the children and disposed of the dead cat, but when he came back home, police were at his house.

“He got out of the car, put his hands up and laid down on the ground without even police commands, he surrendered himself,” said Sollenberger.

Police said there was blood on his boots and clothing, police said.

"Mr. Salinas did provide a statement to authorities. He did tell us that he had left the guns in a position where the child could get ahold of them,” said Sollenberger. “He has denied any injury to the cat.”

Animal control officers found the dead cat in a nearby alley.

“When the officers made contact with Mr. Salinas, they checked the welfare of the children, and at that point the 4-year-old told one of the police officers that ‘Daddy killed Snowflake,'” said Sollenberger.

The kids were not harmed.

Salinas is being held in the Galveston County Jail, and his bond is set at $47,500.