A New Jersey woman who threw her neighbor’s dog into oncoming traffic during an argument over a parking space was sentenced to four years in jail on February 24, 2016.
Haniyyah Barnes was convicted last October on animal cruelty, theft and criminal mischief charges after she broke into Nazirah Bey’s home in 2011. During the incident, Barnes grabbed the 2-year-old Shih Tzu named Honey Bey after the dog began barking. She then went outside and tossed the dog into traffic. A police officer, who was sitting in a patrol vehicle at the time, saw what happened and immediately arrested Barnes. The officer acknowledged in court that Bey had followed Barnes outside and begged with her not to hurt the dog.
“It was an ugly, cruel thing to do,” Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Michele Miller told the judge, NJ.com reported. She added that Barnes “never took [the case] seriously” and saw it as a joke.
Bey told the judge that telling her children what had happened to their beloved dog was devastating. “It’s not a dog,” Bey explained. “It’s family to us.”
In addition to her time in prison, the court ordered Barnes to perform 30 days of community service and to pay the neighbor $2,000 in restitution.
It’s shocking that someone would do something so cruel over a parking space! I’m glad that the Bey family has gotten justice for Honey.
Share this story with your family and friends!
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links.