Man ‘gruesomely’ displayed dead animals on his property, neighbors say

Editor’s Note: This story shares details of animal cruelty that may disturb some readers.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A man is facing animal cruelty charges after his neighbors reported he had displayed dead animals around his property and shot a cat in Everett, Wash.

According to neighbors, Blayne M. Perez had repeatedly shot and killed animals in 2022. The first report came on Jan. 19 when a neighbor said he had been displaying carcasses of birds and squirrels around his property.

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In a probable cause document, officials found Perez had “gruesomely nailed or screwed” the animals into the back of a shed. The neighbor reported that “some of the birds were still alive after being shot, before the suspect then shoved sticks down their throats to display them.”

Authorities searched Perez’s property a month later and found “numerous dead wildlife” including crows, squirrels, and multiple species of songbirds in “various gruesome displays,” according to court documents.

“Officers removed two air rifles and more than a dozen deceased animals from Perez’s property, not including others in advanced stages of decay,” the document read.

When police spoke with Perez after the search, he told police the birds and wildlife were pests that were “f—–g up my s–t.” In a separate call, Perez also told police he had “displayed the birds and animals as a deterrent to any remaining birds, similar to a scarecrow,” officials said.

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In April 2022, officers responded to a report of a dead squirrel that was “impaled through its skull to a tree” at the start of Everett’s Interurban Trail. Neighbors told police they had seen Perez shoot animals as recently as the day before, prompting them to remove their bird feeders to avoid “turning their yards into a killing field.”

Authorities received yet another report in August 2022 that a man who matched Perez’s description was shooting at squirrels and “dismembering them with a knife” in Lowell Riverfront Park. When contacted, Perez told police he had shot squirrels in the park and skinned a rabbit, but did it away from his residence to avoid his neighbors’ attention.

In September, a couple said Perez had pulled up to a fence near their property and shot their 8-month-old cat, Hades, in the eye and fractured its jaw. Security footage later showed a man in a white Subaru matching Perez’s license plates on the property.

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Police confronted Perez, who initially denied being a part of the shooting and later said he was out early in the morning to shoot at birds and wild animals, but thought it had been early enough to not disturb his neighbors and did not knowingly shoot a cat.

Perez faces seven charges of first-degree animal cruelty and one charge of first-degree malicious mischief.

If found guilty, he could potentially face five years in prison for each count of animal cruelty and an additional 10 years for malicious mischief. He would also be fined up to $70,000.

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