CANTON ‒ The ongoing court case involving a 27-year-old Canton resident accused of murdering and devouring a cat has become an odd topic of discussion in the presidential campaign, at least among some people online.
According to a Cincinnati Enquirer story published online Monday, some people are combining her August arrest with unverified rumors that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are devouring dogs.
A video posted on YouTube erroneously depicts police officers threatening a Haitian woman in Springfield over eating a kitten.
In truth, the video displays Canton police officers’ bodycam footage from the Aug. 16 incident. The “Fake News Network” uploaded a video titled “Haitian Woman Eats Neighbour’s Cat in Springfield.”
In response to social media claims, Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck issued a statement Monday through his office, stating that there is no proof that the Haitian immigrants killed or ate any cats or other creatures.
Despite Springfield’s efforts to dispel the pet-eating accusations, Trump continued to push the false narrative that immigrants ate cats and dogs.
“They are eating the dogs! The individuals that entered. They are eating the cats! “They’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people who live there,” Trump stated during Tuesday’s presidential debate.
Vance appeared to backtrack on Tuesday, writing on X, formerly Twitter: “It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.”
Ohio woman accused of devouring a cat lives in Canton.
The Canton lady accused of killing and devouring a cat had no known ties to Haiti or any other foreign country.
Allexis T. Ferrell was charged with cruelty to companion animals, a fifth-degree felony, and Stark County court records show she has faced further offenses since 2017, including credit card theft and abuse, as well as endangering minors.
“Ferrell was first arrested in Canton in 2011,” Canton police spokesman Lt. Dennis Garren said in an email Tuesday. “We have no reason to believe that she is not a U.S. citizen.”
Ferrell, a Canton woman accused of devouring a cat, has pleaded not guilty due to insanity. She is being held in the Stark County Jail on a $100,000 bond.
She has pleaded not guilty by grounds of insanity. Her lawyers has asked for an evaluation to determine her sanity at the time of the alleged crime and whether she is competent to stand trial.
Stark County Common Pleas Judge Frank G. Forchione will hold a competence hearing on October 15.
The alleged animal mistreatment occurred in the 1100 block of 13th Street SE at Jackson Sherrick Homes, a public housing development owned and operated by the Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority. Ferrell lives in the complex.