St. Paul man sentenced for fracturing cat’s skull with hammer during family dispute

Nick Ferraro, Pioneer Press
Updated ·2 min read
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A St. Paul man was put on probation for three years Thursday for hitting his family’s cat with a hammer during a dispute with his brother in 2021.

Bar Blute Too, 25, pleaded guilty in Ramsey County District Court to felony mistreating an animal and misdemeanor domestic assault in connection with the family dispute in the 300 block of Atwater Street in St. Paul’s North End.

According to the criminal complaint, family members told police that Too came home around 1 a.m. Nov. 6 under the influence of drugs. Too’s mother asked him to do something and he became agitated and aggressive. A brother intervened and Too punched him in the face with a closed fist.

Too got a hammer and struck their cat’s head with it three times. He went downstairs and kicked another brother in the leg.

The first brother grabbed Too and held him down until police arrived. The brother told police he feared Too would seriously hurt someone if he was not arrested.

An officer found the cat cowering under the bathroom sink bleeding and distressed. The cat was diagnosed with a fractured skull.

At the time, Too was on Dakota County probation after being convicted of first-degree criminal damage to property in July 2021. Court records alleged Too and two other men cut a catalytic converter off a car in Eagan.

After Ramsey County prosecutors brought the two charges against Too on Nov. 8, he posted a $20,000 bond the next day and was released from jail. He then skipped a December hearing.

Too was rearrested on a warrant two months later, and pleaded guilty the following June. He posted a $10,000 bond and was released from jail pending an Oct. 20 sentencing. He skipped the hearing and was on the lam until his arrest on March 6.

Ramsey County District Judge Timothy Carey on Thursday sentenced Too to a year in prison on the felony conviction, but stayed the time for three years on the condition that he complete terms of probation. Too was given 90 days in jail on the misdemeanor, but had 114 days of custody credit.

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