Jury selection begins in trial of Newark woman, Haniyyah Barnes, accused of killing neighbor's dog

NEW JERSEY -- Jury selection began on Tuesday in the trial of a Newark woman accused of killing her neighbor's two-year-old Shih Tzu by throwing the dog into oncoming traffic during an August 2011 parking dispute.

The trial comes after Superior Court Judge Richard Sules in February allowed Haniyyah Barnes to withdraw her guilty plea in connection with the Aug. 26, 2011 incident.

Barnes, 28, is facing burglary, theft, animal cruelty and criminal mischief charges. If convicted of all charges, Barnes could receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison, of which she would have to serve eight and a half years before becoming eligible for parole, according to Sules.

Barnes had pleaded guilty on April 29, 2014 to burglary, animal cruelty and theft charges. Under a plea agreement, prosecutors had agreed to recommend a six-year prison sentence for Barnes.

As she prepares to go before a jury, Barnes may assert defenses that she was acting in self-defense and that she was intoxicated at the time of the incident, her attorney, Michelle Treiber, previously said. The intoxication defense alleges Barnes couldn't form the proper mental state to commit the crimes.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Michele Miller is representing the state in the case.

The altercation stems from a parking arrangement between Barnes and her neighbor, Nazirah Bey. The two women lived two doors down from one another on Fabyan Place in Newark, and Bey had allowed Barnes's mother to park in her driveway.

Honey Bey, a two-year-old Shih Tzu, was killed in August 2011 when Newark resident Haniyyah Barnes allegedly threw the dog into traffic in a dispute over a parking space.
Patti Sapone/The Star-Ledger

On the night of the incident, Bey's car was blocking the mother's car, which was parked in the driveway, authorities said.

Authorities said Barnes ultimately kicked in the front door to Bey's home and demanded that she move her car. As Bey went to get her car keys, the two-year-old Shih Tzu named Honey Bey rushed into the vestibule and began barking at Barnes, authorities said.

Barnes then allegedly grabbed the dog by the throat, went back outside and threw Honey Bey into oncoming traffic, where she was struck by a vehicle and killed.

A Newark police officer was sitting in a patrol vehicle nearby and witnessed Barnes throw the dog into the street, authorities said. Barnes then approached Bey, leading the officer to pull her of Bey and arrest her, authorities said.
(NJ.com - Sept 16, 2015)

Earlier:

• Newark woman, Haniyyah Barnes, withdraws guilty plea to throwing neighbor's dog into traffic