A Gainesville resident, Terry Guider, 46, found himself in police custody on Monday night following allegations of tampering with cat food by lacing it with antifreeze. The arrest came after Tyanna Ceglia and her family returned from vacation last week to discover their beloved pet cat, ‘Oreo,’ displaying concerning symptoms.
According to Ceglia, Oreo appeared unusually lethargic upon their return, a stark contrast to his usual exuberant demeanor. “He could barely pick his head up,” Ceglia shared. “Oreo just kind of came very slowly walking up the driveway, which was very unlike him. He usually ran up the driveway to see us. When we brought him inside, he wasn’t interested in drinking or eating.”
Ceglia’s suspicions immediately fell upon her neighbor, Terry Guider, who she claimed had threatened to poison Oreo with antifreeze. The incident occurred when her friend, Tim, was pet-sitting last Sunday. Guider, upset over alleged damage to his car attributed to Oreo’s scratching, engaged in a heated exchange with Tim. The entire confrontation was captured on Ceglia’s Ring camera.
In response to the unsettling situation, concerned neighbors in the Hazel Heights community took it upon themselves to put up signs urging pet owners to keep their dogs and cats indoors. Ceglia, in an emotional interview with TV20, emphasized the close bond her 4-year-old daughter shared with Oreo, describing him as the child’s “best friend.”
“There are so many routes he could’ve taken, and instead he decided to take a 4-year-old’s best friend away,” Ceglia lamented.
Tragically, Oreo passed away one week ago, and a subsequent examination by UF Vet Techs revealed the presence of antifreeze in his system. Ceglia explained, “They did do a necropsy, and the preliminary results said that there was antifreeze in his urine, in his kidneys, in his eyes. She said it was a lot of poisoning that he consumed.”
Terry Guider, who declined to comment when approached by TV20 before his arrest, is currently in custody at the Alachua County Jail. He is facing one count of animal cruelty in connection with the poisoning of Oreo.
