A Gresham man pleaded guilty Tuesday to killing his mother's cat while rampaging through her Gresham home last summer when she told him to move out.

Jonathan F. Wagner, 27, is scheduled to appear in Multnomah County Circuit Court again on March 9 to be sentenced on charges of first- and second-degree burglary and first-degree aggravated animal abuse. Judge Judith Matarazzo said Wagner will take a psychological exam before his sentencing hearing.

Additional charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree aggravated animal abuse, first-degree criminal mischief and first-degree animal abuse were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Wagner faces a maximum of 5 years in prison for the first-degree aggravated animal abuse charge and up to 20 years for first-degree burglary.

Wagner's mother asked her son to move out of her home in the 400 block of Northeast 18th Street because he was exhibiting threatening behavior towards her, court records show. She boxed up some of his possessions in July and left them for him to move.

When she went to work sometime after, Wagner damaged furniture, walls, cupboards and other parts of the home, court documents said. At some point, he slit the throat of the family cat, Tom, and placed the feline's body on his mother's bed, according to court documents.

Wagner was sitting on a broken upside-down couch playing a video game when his mother returned and found her home in disarray. Wagner admitted to damaging the home and claimed it was because she touched his stuff, according to court documents.

Wagner's mother showed police two notes written by her son where he claimed he would kill her and other family members if they touched his stuff again, court documents said.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

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