MIAMI, July 6, 2009 - A Florida court heard on Monday how a teenager accused of killing and dismembering 19 cats allegedly lured the felines to his home with food, in a bloody spree that sparked panic among Miami pet owners.

A police affidavit submitted during a court hearing told how Tyler Weinman, 18, entrapped the animals and then dismembered them, behavior which a detective quoted in the document described as being consistent with a "sociopath."

Authorities accuse Weinman, who did not attend court on Monday, of mutilating the cats, cutting them open and leaving the corpses in their owners' yards.

Weinman faces 19 felony counts of animal cruelty, 19 counts of improperly disposing of an animal's body, and four counts of burglary.

The animal cruelty charges carry a penalty of up to six months in prison per count and a mandatory 5,000 dollar fine.

Weinman has been under house arrest after paying a 249,500 dollar bond, and has been ordered to get psychiatric treatment.

The judge said further hearings would be held on Friday.

--AFP