Published: September 08, 2007 09:56 pm      

Rhode Island man accused of extorting mother — by catnapping

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. -- A Rhode Island man has been charged with extorting more than $15,000 from his mother, the police said.

Garry Lamar, of North Kingstown, allegedly snatched his mother's cat repeatedly, demanding money in exchange.

His mother, Mary Lamar Grancher, 78, showed the police canceled checks issued to her son over the last year for more than $15,000. She told the police she had also paid several thousand dollars in cash.

In her complaint with the department's senior citizen advocate, Grancher said her son "flew into violent rages and assaulted her."

The police said Lamar, 47, had been removed from his mother's house in July 2006 because of "verbal, emotional and physical abuse he was causing to his mother."

He was arrested on Aug. 31 and released on $200 cash bail pending a felony screening at the attorney general's office on Oct. 2.

A no-contact order prohibiting Lamar from contacting his mother was issued.