A Portland woman who claims her landlord killed her cat -- after he repeatedly complained the woman’s apartment smelled of cat urine -- is suing him for $253,000.

Sarah Horton claims in her lawsuit filed last week that landlord Gerard LaMaita poisoned her Persian mix cat, Mylo, with antifreeze. Her suit says that after Mylo suddenly fell ill and had to be euthanized in February 2018, she tested his water bowl with a home kit and the results came back positive for antifreeze.

LaMaita didn’t respond to requests for comment over the past few days for this story.

Horton’s civil attorney, Joshua Lay-Perez, said his client originally contacted police but was told to work with Oregon Humane Society’s investigators, who ultimately determined there wasn’t enough evidence to pursue a criminal case.

The suit claims that in the days leading up to Mylo’s death, LaMaita repeatedly entered Horton’s apartment, at 1500 block of North Colfax Street, without giving the required 24 hours of notice, when there wasn’t an emergency or permission granted. The suit states Horton set up a video surveillance camera and posted signs in front and back of her unit warning about the surveillance on Feb. 25, 2018, eight days after Mylo died.

The suit states that the next day, LaMaita and a woman -- Rebecca Mairs -- were caught on video entering Horton’s apartment when Horton was not home.

“Defendant Mairs said that it did not smell like cat urine anymore, to which Defendant LaMaita replied that he did not figure it would,” according to the suit.

Mairs also couldn’t be reached for comment for this story.

Horton posted the video on YouTube. In her description of the video, she wrote that LaMaita is carrying around a bag of cat food or treats and drops them on the floor “in case he failed to finish the job.”

The lawsuit says Horton, then 27, moved into the $1,090-per-month unit in January 2018. During a visit to the apartment a short while later, LaMaita complained about the smell of cat urine “with a flood of derogatory adjectives,” the suit states. Horton explained Mylo hadn’t been neutered yet -- and three days later she had him neutered and he was deemed in perfect health, according to the suit.

The suit says LaMaita continued to complain by text or in person over the days that followed.

After Mylo’s death, the suit states that in the apartment complex’s basement Horton found an antifreeze container that was covered in dust, with the exception of “a fresh handprint ... to indicate recent use.” The suit says that two days before the cat’s death, Mairs had been in the basement and LaMaita in Horton’s apartment.

Mylo was 11 months old.

On YouTube, Horton described him as a “therapy pet for ptsd.” The suit says after her cat’s death, Horton fell into a “terror spiral,” failed her classes at the National University of Natural Medicine in Southwest Portland and couldn’t continue in the doctoral program because she lost her financial aid.

“For several months, she struggled to sleep or eat,” the suit states.

Horton has since moved out of the rental.

Horton seeks damages from LaMaita for intentional infliction of emotional distress for the alleged poisoning of the cat and alleged “unlawful access” into her apartment, among other claims.

The suit also seeks damages from Mairs, based on the accusation that Mairs entered the apartment without permission.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Read the lawsuit here.

-- Aimee Green

agreen@oregonian.com

o_aimee

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