Struthers man accused of torturing animals, choking stepfather indicted
STRUTHERS
A man accused of crucifying rabbits and making lingerie from their pelts, impaling birds and killing his family’s dog with a crossbow was indicted Thursday by a Mahoning County grand jury.
Michael Holokai, 35, of Struthers, was indicted after being charged with domestic violence and torturing a companion animal Oct. 7.
Officers in Struthers responded to Helena Drive after receiving a call that a shirtless male was walking in the roadway and yelling.
According to a police report, Holokai began rambling – telling officers his mother was possessed by Lucifer and that his family dog also was possessed. The report says Holokai said he killed the animal as a result.
Officers called for an ambulance, and he was transported to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital for evaluation.
Officers then followed up on Holokai’s claim that he had killed his family’s dog and went to investigate the home where he was staying with his mother and her husband.
Holokai’s mother told officers her son said he had killed the dog, but that she didn’t believe him and thought it had simply run away. She gave officers consent to search the house, including Holokai’s room, which was attached to a garage behind the house.
In Holokai’s room they found mutilated animal parts from rabbits and birds as well as a large crossbow, a pellet pistol and a pellet rifle.
In the backyard, officers found numerous rabbit traps with severed rabbit feet in them and a board where rabbits had been crucified with nails. Officers also found a dart board with animal fur attached, a pole where birds or a rabbit had been impaled and evidence that Holokai may have been attempting to make women’s lingerie from the rabbit fur.
When officers searched a nearby trash can, they found the body of a white Jack Russell terrier that matched the description of the family’s dog, Pearl.
The dog had been shot with a pair of crossbow bolts and apparently bled out in the trash can.
After returning to the family with their findings, Holokai’s mother told police her son had entered the room of her husband, who was bedridden due to illness, and choked him without provocation and that earlier in the month he had destroyed the couple’s cellphones, but did eventually replace them.
In follow-up interviews with other individuals close to Holokai – all who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of repercussion from him – one said Holokai had exhibited behavior that suggested he had a mental illness since he was a teenager.
An individual close to Holokai also told police that his mental health deteriorated rapidly after the breakup of his marriage.
Holokai is being held and awaiting assessment at North Coast Behavioral Healthcare.
Struthers Police Chief Tim Roddy said the Mahoning County Mental Health Board offers free crisis intervention training and that half of the Struthers police force has gone through the training.
“The training has proven valuable for dealing with situations like these,” Roddy said. “It gives our officers the tools not only to recognize the signs of someone with a mental-health issue, but also deal with those situations safely and appropriately.”