Bronx teen Cheyenne Cherry, who allegedly looted an apartment and let a partner-in-crime roast her friend’s kitten in May, was convicted of attempted burglary and animal cruelty on Wednesday, December 2.
Cherry agreed to a plea deal: two in years in jail followed by three years of post-release supervision. The 17-year old also promised to not own a pet for three years after her release. Cherry pled guilty to both charges in July.
In May, Cherry and an underage and unnamed partner, sentenced in August to 18 months in juvenile jail, broke into friend Valerie Hernandez’ apartment on Tinton Avenue. The pair poured bleach on and slashed a couch, severed a television cord and pilfered food. It appears that Cherry’s partner locked the Hernandez’ kitten, “Tiger Lily,” in the oven and turned the switch before the pair fled. Tiger Lily burned to death.
Cherry is to be sentenced on January 21.
“We decided to play a practical joke on Val and mess up her apartment,” Cherry allegedly told authorities. “I cut her couch with a butter knife and put bleach on it. I cut the cord on the TV and took the light bulbs out. Whitney took Val’s Oodles of Noodles and DVDs. She took the kitten and threw it in the oven…I left because I didn’t want to hear the kitten screaming or scratching to get out.”
Cherry and her boyfriend stole a dog from its owner at BB gun point in 2008. At court in July, the unrepentant teen shouted down an animal rights advocate.
“It’s unusual to see someone so young express zero remorse for such a sadistic and cowardly attack,” Martin Merserau of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said. “The community has reason to be concerned unless she receives serious counseling in addition to…jail.”
Reach reporter Daniel Beekman at 718 742-3383 or dbeekman@cnglocal.com
