Taxpayers will help foot some of the bill for defending alleged Miami-Dade serial cat killer Tyler Weinman, a judge ruled Monday.

Circuit Judge John Thornton ordered the state to pay $10,000 for depositions of more than 100 witnesses listed by prosecutors. An additional $2,500 will go toward paying investigators working to bolster his defense.

The teen is accused of mutilating and killing 19 cats in Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay between April and June in a spree that terrified pet owners and drew national headlines. More than 30 cat corpses were found in the area.

Weinman, 18, is charged with 19 counts each of felony animal cruelty and improperly disposing of an animal body, and four counts of burglary.

Weinman's grandfather, Richard Weinman, is helping pay the $50,000 fee to retain defense attorney David Macey. He also helped post the $249,500 bond to free his grandson, a high school dropout, from jail.

But besides that, Tyler Weinman has no job and no money to help pay for defending the case, Macey told the judge Monday.

``This is a massive investigation, the likes I've never seen in 14 years. He's going to need help from the judicial commission to have a competent defense,'' Macey said.

The state's Justice Administration Commission, which administers state funds for defendants who can't pay legal bills, objected to Weinman's request. Miami-Dade prosecutors did not object.

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