A woman pleaded guilty on Monday to killing and eating a cat in Canton, Ohio. The incident sparked reports that Haitian migrants were eating the pets of American citizens in Springfield, Ohio, which is located less than 200 miles from Canton.
According to Newsweek, police officers arrested Allexis T. Ferrell in August for reportedly stomping on a cat’s head and eating it. According to the outlet, police officers said they discovered Ferrell with blood on her hands and feet and fur on her lips. Fox 8 reported that the incident took place at a housing complex located in the 1100 block of East 13th Street in Canton, Ohio.
While Ferrell was indicted for a charge of cruelty toward a companion animal on August 21, the 27-year-old suspect originally pleaded not guilty; however, Ferrell changed her court decision and pleaded guilty on Monday, according to Fox 8. After pleading guilty, Ferrell was sentenced to 12 months in prison as a result of the cat-eating incident.
According to Newsweek, court records show that a mental health evaluation was initially ordered for Ferrell to determine whether she could stand trial. A mental health clinic later determined that the suspect was able to understand the court proceedings.
”I can’t express the disappointment, shock, disgust that this crime has brought to me,” Stark County Common Pleas Judge Frank G. Forchione said, according to Newsweek. “I don’t know what could prompt anyone to want to eat a cat.”
READ MORE: Video/Pics: Haitian immigrants eating pets, wildlife in Midwest neighborhood: Report
“You’ve embarrassed this county. You’ve embarrassed this nation,” Forchione added. “More importantly, you’ve embarrassed yourself.”
According to Newsweek, in addition to being sentenced to a year in prison for the August incident, the 27-year-old was also sentenced to 18 months in prison for breaking the conditions of her probation in relation to her previous convictions of endangering children and theft and misuse of credit cards.
According to NBC 4, a police body camera video of Ferrell’s cat-eating incident sparked the reports that circulated during the 2024 presidential election of Haitian migrants eating the pets of residents in Springfield, Ohio. In a viral video from the 2024 presidential debate between President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump referenced the reports in the media and warned that Haitian migrants were “eating the dogs” and “eating the cats.”