Outspoken Witness to Kitten Drownings Undergoes Intimidation From Neighbors

No Comments

Photo of author

By Karen Harrison Binette

“I will never be a witness to anything ever again in my life. I don’t care if I see a murder in front of me. I would never say a word, and that’s what this is sending to other people.”

Christine Ohm

Christine Ohm is the Las Vegas woman who contacted authorities when she witnessed two teen aged boys drowning a pair of newborn kittens in a glass of water in June. She spoke out publicly on the case and her desire for justice for the innocent babies killed in the depraved act. Christine spoke out despite some threats and the knowledge that she would have to live near the perpetrators’ families and possibly suffer retribution. Despite instruction from the court that neither of the two boys have contact with any witnesses, made at the July juvenile court sentencing passed down after a plea deal, Christine has undergone vandalism and other forms of intimidation since August. The probation office has not publicly shown much concern for Christine’s safety or peace of mind.

The drownings occurred in Christine’s next door neighbor’s back yard, and one of the two boys is the neighbor’s son. Father and son claim the boys were carrying out the father’s wishes to dispose of the unwanted animals  that were born to a stray in Christine’s yard. Christine peered over the wall between the two properties when she heard the commotion cause by the Mama cat’s distress and the babies’ suffering. She took a photo that captured the killers and their victims at the scene.

The pair of 16 year olds killed the kittens, laughed about it, joked about possibly killing the stray Mama cat, were threatening, and received a slap on the wrist in juvenile court. Each admitted guilt on one count of felony cruelty in order to have other charges dropped. The patchwork of small punishments and monitoring left the pair out on the street again after serving 10 days on top of 20 days served while awaiting their day in court. Each are under supervision of the probation office.

By the time of a  channel 13 news report from August 30, Christine was already under siege. She reported that a sign saying WARNING: NO TRESPASSING.   BEYOND THIS POINT DEADLY FORCE IS AUTHORIZED had been posted by the neighboring Deegan family, facing into her backyard, and visible only to her. A complaint to the probation office got the father, who admitted to putting it up, to take the sign down. Christine also reported  a basketball being thrown into her glass doors and that her outdoor ceiling fans had been loosened so that one crashed down onto her patio table. The video report from channel 13 shows photos documenting the incidents. The teenaged son, who received just days on jail time, has a record of delinquent behavior.

Probation services told channel 13 that the neighbors’ behavior amounted to bad judgement rather than a probation violation, and said they had counseled the family to ensure that such incidents didn’t happen again.  Clark County’s Juvenile Justice Service director Fritz Reese also said his office is stretched thin.

Last Friday, September 21, channel 3 news ran the story seen below. Now the neighbors have surveillance cameras directed at Christine’s property so that she feels watched and intimidated day and night. “It’s frightening having someone watch you 24/7 — I don’t think I deserve that,” Christine said. “I didn’t do anything to him. I don’t know why he is doing that to me.” Obviously, the neighbors do not view the situation the same way. Christine learned the family’s last status check was on Monday, and she finds it disturbing that the cameras pointed at her backyard sprung up the following day. She feels that she is under constant harassment. “They can view everything whatever I’m doing,” she said. “They see me coming in and out of my door. It goes directly to my back door.”

Christine said last week that she planned to ask the probation office if the cameras constituted a violation.

About Author

0 thoughts on “Outspoken Witness to Kitten Drownings Undergoes Intimidation From Neighbors”

  1. stupid kids, stupid parents. Sounds like real winners for adults no wonder the kids are turning out just as nuts as the parents. I would love to see them “try to intimidate me.

  2. Why should she move?thats what they want.stand up to these thugs and make sure you document everything they do to you.she did the right thing turning in those boys.dont let them win.

  3. Through public search, Ive concluded that their address is either 3211 or 3215 Painted Moon St Las Vegas and the article says their last name is Deegan. Maybe someone local could narrow it down to the correct one. unfortunately they arent listed.

  4. The saying is “don’t let the bastards get you down,” and don’t let them intimidate you either. If you see something wrong in the world, you have to speak up, even if it has some negative consequences. You would want someone to speak up for you. Reporting the drowning was for the sake of the kittens, and so that it doesn’t happen again – or at least it helps build a record for the delinquents who did it so their future crimes can be considered in light of their past crimes in sentencing. While it is unfortunate that the neighbors are so juvenile and it is annoying, the best possible move is not to let it bother you. Who knows if the cameras are even on. You can put up a barrier to the cameras or just ignore them. The worst possible scenario is to say that you are so disturbed you would never be a witness again – then the evil people win. Realize that the system is not set up to handle this situation well; the law is lax on animal crimes and the people who commit them are distasteful – but it is not acceptable to do nothing vs. work towards changing the system in whatever small ways we can.

  5. What a bunch of crazies. Me thinks those kids should be jailed for a good, long time or better. The entire family executed.

  6. I agree with all the comments above and did my share of commenting above too. The neighbors should be punished and the other boy punished to the highest extent. Family or friends, neighbors need to take up for her or isn’t any of them animal lovers. She did the right thing. I hope the mean ones have to move and get punished for what they did to the kitties and to her for taking the proof where she should have taken it. I feel so sorry for her doing a good deed and doesn’t this happen so often, the mean ones or guilty ones get a way with murder. This happens too many times. God bless her and hopefully friends will come forward to help her and the mean family start acting like parents and apologizing to her and make their kids go to long time counseling. Since that won’t happen, the parents should go to counseling too! I’m fed up and she needs justice!

  7. Sounds like the parents need to grow up you can see where the kids get it from cause you know the dad put the cameras up. She did a good thing maybe some of the animal lovers who live close to her could help. At least give her support. Also if the DA’s office got enough calls about this you would think they would take some kind of action to stop this.

  8. I see Mrs. Ohm and her husband now have their house on the market. I feel bad for them if potential buyers see this article. They won’t want to buy a house with insane people living next door. We need better laws, sometimes!

  9. I would stay. Don’t let those insane people win. This is so sad, I can’t believe the law wouldn’t help her. I can’t get over this.

  10. Get a water blaster, fill it with paint and spray those little cameras until you can no longer see through the lens…just a thought

  11. Of interest, one of the families hired a high-profile, lawyer, respected in the LV legal system and of influence. Agreed that to have spoken up is the correct and moral duty of every citizen. Being low-staffed on the law-enforcing end is no excuse. The parents of these two jerks obviously have not set good examples for themselves and are in essence by actions reinforcing getting away with literally murder. So someone who has the know-how, set up a “chip in” and allow all of us who support real justice contribute to Christine Ohm setting up her how surveilance cameras, heightening her own privacy walls, and if merited, pursuing her own legal action.

  12. My research from articles and news videos reveals that one of the neighbors is Deegan and that one of these boys goes to Cimmaron Memorial High School. Look at the news videos, and you will find an interview with one of the dads who wound up running from the cameras. Do a FaceBook search of DEEGAN, Las Vegas, NV, and you will come up with several listings. One of them includes a man who looks a lot like the man in the news video and also has a son who attends Cimmaron Memorial High School. A match? Could be.

  13. If I were her, I’d do the same thing and get surveillance cams pointed straight toward their property, Oh and call PETA too.

  14. These boys are vile sub-human bastards. They will grow up and be prolific criminals. Unfortunately I live in England, otherwise I would be knocking at their door! The parents deserve to be jailed for allowing this to happen. they are all scumbags, and I will be writing to them.

  15. Video surveillance your back yard and turn the videos over to the police once you have the evidence, file charges and never back down. They are bullies and deserve to be treated likewise in turn.

    Stay Strong and Push forward.

  16. I would be happy to visit with this woman…and bring my best friends Smith & Wesson.
    Cruelty bred from parents to children…next it will be human targets, mark my words.

  17. On the other hand the authorities have not stepped up to end the other family’s vandalism… I’m not saying they would necessarily be fair, but one would hope. Paint is definitely the best idea, but if that is considered vandalism, a basketball obviously isn’t… Hmmm…. I just thought of something better. Erect a big piece of wood, a sign, etc. on her fence that totally obliterates the camera’s line of sight. Since it would be on HER property who could complain?

  18. Deb, I see your pint but, if you read the article closely, I doubt those things are really happening. The Ohm’s have their house up for sale because of this. I doubt people go to the extreme of selling their house if this is an exaggeration.

  19. Do not let these people intimidate you. You did the right thing. These are sick people the parents and the kids. Wait till they go after some people because they will. Keep complaining to probation. Call and ask for their supervisor and if you need to keep going up the chain of command. Call the news stations and get yourself a camera pointed at them in case they do something to you.
    Does your state have stand your ground law? Get a gun and keep it with you. But never give up and always call. You have to protect the animals.

  20. Do not be intimidated by those neighbors. They are under the same laws you are and cannot vandalize your property without being arrested. You need to get a security camera for your property so that any further intrusion into your property is documented for the police report. Don’t be discouraged you did the right thing and hundreds of people are on your side. These people will stop eventually and you will triumph.

  21. I think putting up a sign to block their cameras is a good idea that someone mentioned on here.
    Christine, please talk to us or make a comment to us. We are on your side and I was bullied when I lived in CA. years ago by a next door neighbor. They even left my deaf dog out of the fenced in yard I had and she was found on a busy street on Coast Hwy. I didn’t run away. I stayed. The bullies even pointed their bright front light into my living room windows. The police made them stop it. I was on my own with my pets watching close eye on things but it stopped, I didn’t move. So you can do the same thing by staying unless there is another reason why you are moving. You’re doing everything right and stick to your guns. You are right what you did. Everyone here would have done the same thing. I might have interrupted the kids and take the kitties out of the situation, but do me a favor and comment to us, please. All we can do is talk mainly. I hope we gave you good advice and just please let us know where you stand. Thanks.

  22. I think that’s a great idea Lori. Christine Ohm might not be reading all these good ideas. I wish we would hear from her. She would let us know where we stand. What’s the use in continue to put up comments if she doesn’t let us know she is reading them. I hope so.

Leave a Comment