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Police officers in Argentina have made a macabre discovery, finding the body of a man who had been partially eaten by his cats.
The 59-year-old man, Marcelo Bonifacio, lived alone and had serious heart problems, local media outlet TN reported.
He died at his home in the city of La Plata—located just outside the Argentina capital Buenos Aires—in June. But several days passed before anyone noticed that he had passed away.
Neighbors first became concerned after they had not seen Bonifacio around the neighborhood for more than two weeks.
Some decided to visit his home but when they approached they noticed a rotten smell and subsequently called the emergency services.
Officers from a local police station arrived just a few minutes later but the door was locked so they were forced to break in. That is when they made the horrific discovery.
Police found the body of the man in an advanced state of decay. In addition, his cats had eaten parts of his legs and an arm after being locked up for several days without being able to leave the property.
Investigators said the man had likely died approximately 20 days before he was found by officers.
It is not yet clear how the man died but officials suspect that he passed away as a result of natural causes related to his health problems. An autopsy will be carried out to determine the exact cause of death.
Newsweek asked police in Buenos Aires province for comment by email.
This is not the first time that reports have emerged of a person being eaten by their cats in recent years.
A woman in Russia was partially eaten by her 20 cats after she died at home last year, The Sun reported. Police found the body of the woman, who was a cat breeder, at a property in Bataysk, Rostov region, Russia.
They said the woman had likely been dead for two weeks before being found. The search of the woman's property was conducted after police received a call from a concerned co-worker.
In 2021, an elderly woman was partially eaten by her cats after dying alone at her home in Madrid, Spain.
Police visited the apartment after neighbors said they had not seen the 79-year-old for a month, while also reporting a foul smell coming from her apartment.
When police arrived at the property, they found her decomposing body, which had been eaten from the waist up by her pet cats, El Mundo reported.
About the writer
Aristos is a Newsweek science and health reporter with the London, U.K., bureau. He is particularly focused on archaeology and ... Read more