AUBURN — A local pastor pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge this week after he was caught on video abandoning a cat behind Marden's discount store in Lewiston.
Joseph Mallozzi, pastor at Auburn Baptist Church, polishes his Corvette at a Cruise Nite earlier this summer at Rolly's Diner in Auburn.
2011 file photo of Joseph Mallozzi, pastor at Auburn Baptist Church,
Joseph Mallozzi, pastor at Auburn Baptist Church, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Lewiston District Court. He was ordered to pay a $500 fine.
Mallozzi, of 18 Hillview Lane, Lewiston, was charged in June after police investigated a suspicious crate left in the lot behind Marden's. Police said an officer had witnessed a man in a classic car leaving the crate before driving away.
Animal Control Officer Wendell Strout went to the scene and found a cat inside the crate. The animal was unharmed and was taken to the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, just around the corner.
Police did not know who had abandoned the cat. But they got an investigative assist from security cameras trained on the area around Marden's. They viewed footage of the incident, police said, and were able to zoom in on the license plate of the car.
It was a classic 1951 Ford owned by Mallozzi. When questioned about the matter, Mallozzi claimed he had left the crate to be picked up by a friend. However, no such friend was identified.
The case was handed over to the District Attorney's Office, which went forward with the charge of cruelty to animals.
Mallozzi, born and raised in Rhode Island, joined the Auburn Baptist Church in 1985, according to the church's website.
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animal cruelty
How dare this clown be called a pastor? Anyone that displays this kind of cruelty to any animal has no morals in humanity or other. For an act such as this he should be immediately dismissed from his duty as a "SO CALLED PASTOR'.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Animal drop off at Mardens'? WTH? is up with that?
The animal shelter is open 6 days a weekkkkkkkkkk right? ok, what's wrong? Why do this? Did the cat do something wrong, at the wrong time of day, after the animal shelter was already closed?
OH gosh! bull crap, some one's gonna pick up the cat? who? Was this another "bait for pit bull fights" Deal?
I am sad, again
You will see this antique car maybe at Roys Golf on Friday Cruise nights
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mr mallozzi needs to pray to god for forgiveness and then he needs to resign as pastor of the church, I cant see him preaching the word to the people of that church.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Loser!
I think I would be finding a new pastor pretty quickly if I was Auburn Baptist Church. What does this say about his character? Anyone who abandons or abuses animals knowingly is a rat and is missing something in their heart. It scares me that this man is a pastor!
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Church is treating this guy well!!!
This is a pastor??? Looks more like a used car saleman..liar and cruel to animals...UMMMMM!!! Makes you wonder what it is, that the people of this church see in him..glad he got caught.. Wouldn't be attendting this church anytime soon..what an example to set for his church!!!!
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