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Catherine DeLucia, 56, “was uncooperative and refused to comply” with Bergen County sheriff's officers and local police trying to remove her from the Collignon Way home, River Vale Lt. Joshua Wisse said on Friday, Nov. 17.
A computer check found that DeLucia was wanted out of Snyder County, PA, on charges of making terroristic threats and repeated anonymous harassment.
DeLucia has had an ongoing battle with an animal rescue that she claims has illegally withheld “Bentley,” a cross-breed Savanna/Egyptian Mau cat that was her emotional support animal.
T&D's Cats of the World in Penns Creek, PA countered that DeLucia illegally acquired what actually is an African Serval cat while she was living in Pearl River, NY.
DeLucia claims in a lawsuit that she bought “Bentley” for $8,000 from a seller in Russia in late spring of 2021, then endured an "administratively intensive and extremely expensive” ordeal in obtaining a passport for the 2-month-old feline.
DeLucia says was battling with her husband at the time and returned home one day to find the locks on their Rockland County home changed and an order of protection obtained against her, the lawsuit says.
Her husband had also brought Bentley to a New York animal rescue that, in turn, gave him to T&D's, the suit says.
DeLucia says she went to Penns Creek and found her cat “skinny and in ill health” and “confined to a small cage."
Things got physical, with DeLucia claiming owners Terry and T.J. Mattive knocked her down and threatened her.
She was the aggressor, spitting in Terry Mattive’s eye, they countered.
DeLucia also turned to social media, accusing authorities in Rockland County of "f---ing my life up" and threatening that "there will be war" if the matter isn't resolved to her liking.
DeLucia has more immediate concerns in Bergen County, however.
According to Wisse, DeLucia spit on a River Vale officer in a patrol car after being taken into custody during the eviction flareup on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
She also “damaged the outside of a patrol car while in handcuffs” and kicked an officer in the holding cell at headquarters, the lieutenant said.
River Vale police charged DeLucia with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, spitting on an officer and criminal mischief.
DeLucia has remained at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus since being brought there for a psychological evaluation.
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