CANTON – The ongoing trial of a 27-year-old Canton resident accused of killing and eating a cat has become an unexpected part of the debate over presidential campaign issues, at least for some online users.
An article in the Cincinnati Enquirer posted online Monday said some people are confusing her August arrest with unconfirmed rumors that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in the southwest Ohio city of Springfield.
A video posted on YouTube falsely claims to show police officers confronting a Haitian woman in Springfield for eating a cat.
In reality, the video shows bodycam footage from Canton police officers at the scene of the August 16 incident in Canton. The video posted by the Fake News Network is titled “Haitian woman eats neighbor’s cat in Springfield.”
In response to rumors circulating on social media, Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck released a statement through his office on Monday saying there was no evidence that the Haitian immigrants had harmed or eaten cats or other pets.
Despite Springfield’s efforts to dispel the pet-eating rumors, Trump continued to spread the false story that immigrants eat cats and dogs.
“They’re eating the dogs! The people that came here. They’re eating the cats! They’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump said during the presidential debate on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Vance apparently backtracked, posting on X, formerly Twitter: “It is of course possible that all of these rumors turn out to be false.”
Ohio woman accused of eating cat lives in Canton
The Canton woman accused of killing and eating a cat has no known connection to Haiti or any other country.
Allexis T. Ferrell was charged with cruelty to animals, a fifth-degree felony. Stark County court records show that other charges have been filed against her since 2017, including theft and misuse of credit cards and child endangerment.
“Ferrell was first arrested in Canton in 2011,” police spokesman Lt. Dennis Garren wrote in an email on Tuesday. “We have no reason to believe she is not a U.S. citizen.”
Springfield officials: “No credible reports” of crimes committed by Haitian migrants in Ohio
Canton woman accused of eating cat pleads not guilty by reason of insanity
Ferrell is being held in the Stark County Jail with bail set at $100,000.
She pleaded not guilty on the grounds of insanity. Her lawyer has requested an evaluation to determine her sanity at the time of the alleged crime and to review her competency to stand trial.
Stark County Common Pleas Judge Frank G. Forchione is scheduled to hold a competency hearing on October 15.
The alleged animal cruelty incident occurred in the 1100 block of 13th Street SE at Jackson Sherrick Homes, a public housing complex owned and managed by the Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority. Ferrell lives at the complex.
The Cincinnati Enquirer contributed to this report.
Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or [email protected]. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio woman accused of killing and eating cat is American, not Haitian
