Veronica Reyes, 23, of 509 Allentown Road, stood before a packed courtroom and said she still has nightmares about what she did on Nov. 20, when she brought her two pit bulls out into her front yard and used a chain and a leash to string them up over a tree branch one by one until they were dead, according to court documents.
She then buried the two animals in her backyard in garbage bags.
“I’m very sorry for what I did,” said Reyes, who was wearing yellow prison garb and shackles. “I wasn’t on my medication.”
Following the hearing, animal advocates said they did not believe that Reyes, who reportedly has an undisclosed mental illness, was sincere in her remorseful remarks.
“That’s a cookie cutter apology,” said Donna Ploss, one of the many advocates who held a small demonstration outside the courthouse and attended the sentencing. “I don’t believe her. Any mental illness, regardless of what she had, isn’t an excuse to kill an animal.”
According to court officials, Reyes told investigators she had been hallucinating the night she killed her dogs after taking illegal drugs. She said the dogs had been talking to her and became very excited when she mentioned hanging them, Reyes told police.
Reyes, who is wanted in Maryland for charges of assault on a police officer, stealing a motor vehicle and escape, accepted a plea bargain in March in her Bristol case. She pleaded guilty to one felony count of maliciously killing an animal, entering the plea under the Alford doctrine — meaning she disputes some of the allegations — because she doesn’t remember exactly what happened. She did not have a criminal record prior to this case.
The plea deal included a sentence of five years in prison, suspended after service of six months, and three years of probation. Because she has been receiving jail credit while being held on $75,000 bond since her arrest on Jan. 15, Reyes cannot be released from custody in Connecticut any later than July 15. According to her attorney, Alfonzo Sirica, she will be extradited to Maryland to face charges there.
During the sentencing, which was interrupted multiple times for a disturbance from the gallery and logistical issues, prosecutor Jeffrey Lee addressed the notion that animal-rights activists were not happy with the length of the prison sentence Reyes received and believed 10 years behind bars would have been more appropriate.
“I’m not going to sit here and justify what I did,” Lee said, referring to the plea bargain he offered.
Years ago, Lee continued, many people charged in animal cruelty cases did receive any prison time.
“That has changed,” he said.
During the hearing, an audience member was removed from the courtroom for videotaping the proceeding without permission. Furthermore, Lee recused himself temporarily after Ploss asked the judge to allow her to address the courtroom. Ploss had taken care of Lee’s dogs in the past, Lee said, so he did not want to take a position on whether or not she should be allowed to talk.
Judge Richard Dyer, who handed down the sentence to Reyes, ultimately denied Ploss’ request to speak.
Dyer called what Reyes did “repugnant, bizarre and exceptionally cruel.” He noted that a pre-sentence investigation determined that Reyes had a troubled childhood and mental health issues.
Animal-rights activists said they hoped Dyer would have changed his mind about accepting the plea bargain and imposed a longer sentence.
“That takes time to let a dog hang like that and watch something innocent suffer,” said Christine Kiernan, who is part of the animal activist group Desmond’s Army.
“I’m glad she got some time,” Ploss added. “It’s only six months.”
(Central Communications - May 5, 2016)
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