19-Year-Old Is Charged in Hamster’s Death (Updated - worse than you thought!)

New York Times ^ | March 9, 2011 | ANDY NEWMAN

[decimon]

The trouble began, Theresa Smith said, shortly after she bought a hamster for her 9-year-old son. A few months later, the hamster, Princess Stephanie, was playing in its exercise ball on the floor of their apartment in Bushwick, Brooklyn, when an older son, who is 25, flew into a rage.

“He kicked it deliberately, the ball flew across the room, the hamster flew out of the ball, and it died,” Ms. Smith said. After he had calmed down, the older son felt terrible, she said.

“He was very remorseful,” Ms. Smith said. “He bought my son three more hamsters.”

This act of contrition, however, only angered Ms. Smith’s daughter Monique, Theresa Smith said. Monique picked up the biggest of the three hamsters, Sweetie, “took it out of the cage, and she slammed it on the floor,” Theresa Smith said. “It died on impact.”

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A necropsy by the animal society’s doctors indicated that Sweetie, an adult female who weighed just under four ounces, died of blunt force trauma and liver damage.

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[decimon]

Update to - Teen in U.S. charged in death of family hamster

[Christian Engineer Mass]

“Sweetie”

Oh man COME ON. Did they have to name Mo-nique’s victim?

[rfp1234]

Sick disgusting b@$tards.

[PLMerite]

Those people have some anger management issues.

[JPG]

“The boys throw stones at the frogs in jest, but the frogs die not in jest but in earnest.” -Piny the Elder

[Dacus943]

"A necropsy by the animal society’s doctors indicated that Sweetie, an adult female who weighed just under four ounces, died of blunt force trauma and liver damage."

What the Hell... Who does "necropsy" on hamsters?

[HollyB]

11 or more people and a litter of kittens in an apt....may be contributing to the frustration. But, If they have this type of anger problem, the kittens should probably have a new home.

[Mr. Mojo]

19-Year-Old Is Charged in Hamster’s Death (Updated - worse than you thought!)

Whew, for a second there I thought perhaps something horrible happened to Richard Hammond.

[BobL]

“law enforcement agents from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals arrested Monique Smith, 19, along Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick.”

Does anyone else have a problem with the American SOCIETY for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals having law enforcement agents with the power to arrest people they don’t like...or is it just me?

[ApplegateRanch]

Theresa Smith, 47, who lives with 10 of her 12 children in the third-floor apartment on Putnam Avenue, said that violence ran in her family. “Thirty-two years ago,” she said, “my brother strangled my sister to death.”

I begin to understand part of their problems: her parents bred.

[ReverendJames]

Wait just a minute - the ASPCA has law enforcement people? I wonder if they’re allowed to shoot dogs too?

[null and void]

What the Hell... Who does "necropsy" on hamsters?

Someone who needs to know what was out of Gere with them.

[ReverendJames]

"The Humane Law Enforcement Division is the police branch of the ASPCA staffed by 20 armed New York State peace officers who respond to reports of animal cruelty in marked ASPCA patrol cars in the New York City area as well as perform undercover operations. The officers are empowered through NYS Criminal Procedure Law and NY Agriculture and Markets laws to investigate allegations of animal abuse, seize animals being abused, and make arrests for the prosecution for animal cruelty. In 2000, the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Division received 33,000 calls for service which resulted in 55 arrests, 30 summonses issued, and 537 animal seizures."

Scary. Just what we need are more police

[CCCnative]

What the Hell... Who does "necropsy" on hamsters?
Too much time, government money. That would explain alot. This is a case of extremes. I'll bet that apartment smells great too! We used to tease a kid at school when I was a kid to smelled like he kept a Guinea Pig in his room. (He did.) Bet these kids get it from all directions.

[CommerceComet]

Does anyone else have a problem with the American SOCIETY for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals having law enforcement agents with the power to arrest people they don’t like...or is it just me?

It's not just you!!! What the ... is going on in New York?

[Soothesayer9]

A hamster is a mouse with pretty fur. Who gives a rats ass if it dies.

[ApplegateRanch]

It is usually the case that the ASPCA is contracted by the city or county as animal enforcement & pound services, then some are deputized and sworn as animal control officers under either the police or sheriff’s office.

[SoldierDad]

Bring in Jack Nicholson - “I feel pretty”!!!

[bigheadfred]

Totally tubular. Like tripendicular.

[hattend]

I give a rat’s ass that there are two future psychopaths living in this household.

The hamster was a pet, just like a cat or dog. Normal people don’t just kill their pets in fits of rage.