Cranford man accused of putting dead cat in neighbor’s mailbox

Steven F. Elias, a 28-year-old resident of 54 Mendell Avenue in Cranford, has been apprehended by local authorities who have accused him of placing a dead cat inside a neighbor’s mailbox earlier this year.

The incident, which occurred on March 12 at approximately 10 p.m. on Collins Street, left the community shocked and appalled. One of the victims, Cheryl Saladino, 47, of 12 Collins Street in Cranford, told Eyewitness News that her autistic son saw the dead animal and became very upset by it.

However, thanks to the diligent work of the Cranford Police Department, Elias was identified as the suspect and charged accordingly.

The disturbing act came to light when a Cranford family discovered a deceased feline in their mailbox the following morning, prompting them to report the incident to the authorities.

In an effort to identify the individual responsible, the Cranford Police Department shared video footage from a nearby home security camera on social media.

The video shows a male individual, believed to be Elias, walking up the driveway holding an object suspected to be the carcass of a cat. Subsequently, the person is seen leaving the scene, walking down the sidewalk and out of view.

The circulated video received significant attention on social media, with concerned citizens helping to spread the word in the hopes of identifying the perpetrator.

Eventually, the police were able to positively identify Elias as the individual captured in the footage, leading to his arrest and subsequent charges. The suspect’s home is about one hundred feet away from that of the victim.

According to authorities, Elias has been charged with causing fear of unlawful bodily violence, harassment, and criminal trespass. He was issued a summons and is expected to appear at the Union County Superior Court to answer for his alleged actions.

Cranford Police Department Captain Matthew Nazzaro expressed his relief at the arrest, noting that such incidents were uncommon in the area. “We have not received any reports of similar incidents in the past,” Nazzaro stated, emphasizing the isolated nature of the crime.

A preliminary examination of the deceased cat suggests that it may have suffered trauma consistent with being struck by a vehicle, although further investigation is required to confirm the exact cause.

The police are urging anyone with additional information about the incident to come forward and contact Cranford Police Detective Matthew Siessel at (908) 709-7209.

The community of Cranford can now breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that an arrest has been made in connection with this unsettling crime, an incident that remains a rare exception in the close-knit community.

According to the latest available statistics, police solved only 11 percent of the 323 crimes reported in Cranford during the two-year span of 2019 and 2020.