East Boston man convicted of killing cat, setting corpse on fire

Luigi Epifania (Boston Police photo)

By Globe Staff

An East Boston man was convicted of animal cruelty and arson charges stemming from an incident last year in which he stomped a cat to death, stuffed the carcass in a paper bag, lit it on fire, and tossed the burning package through the window of an East Boston apartment building.

Luigi Epifania is to be sentenced Monday in Suffolk Superior Court, according to Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office.

Prosecutors said Epifania was looking for an acquaintance on Princeton Street on June 13, 2007. He was unable to locate him and eventually fell asleep on the steps of a building. When he awoke, he spotted the cat, which he initially treated with kindness. He told authorities he “lost it” and then stomped and kicked the cat, which went by the name of Nunu, Conley’s office said.

When he realized the cat was dead, he put it in the bag, doused it with lighter fluid and tossed it into the building where a resulting fire caused “significant damage’’ to the first floor of the building, Conley’s office said.

Epifania, 25, is awaiting trial on attempted murder charges in connection with a June 11 incident in which he allegedly slashed a man, forced him to strip and get into a shower, and then threatened him with a hot frying pan. Epifania has pleaded not guilty.