Cops find 20 frozen cats in Drexel Hill rowhouse

The cat corpses have been taken to the Delaware County SPCA for further investigation.

"I don't know what the cat autopsies are going to show," Chitwood said. "My expectation was that these cats just died, but I think being so mentally ill, she's trying to preserve them even in death by putting them in a freezer. Cryonics. That's exactly what's going on."

Chitwood said Merget could face animal-cruelty charges, depending on the results of the investigation. She apparently was watching the Ardmore Avenue house for her mother, who lives in a nursing home.

Residents of the block, just off Lansdowne Avenue, are still recovering from last week's raid of an alleged brothel across the street. Police arrested a prostitute and the madam of the house, who they say were advertising "massages" and performing sexual acts for a "generous tip."

"On one side, you got prostitution, on the other side, you got cats in the freezer," Chitwood said. "It's tragic. Obviously, this lady has some mental-health issues and needs to get them addressed."

Neighbors say the well-kept block isn't the type of place where you'd expect to find hookers and frozen pets.

"At least it's not drugs," one resident said. "Just crazy people."