We turn now to the arrest of a 25-year-old woman in Brookhaven accused of unthinkable cruelty. Police say she threw kittens out of her car as she drove down Osborne Road killing at least one of them. Our size Rob Darienzo is live at Brookhaven Police Headquarters tonight. Uh Rob, you spoke with the quick-thinking witness who got the license plate and called cops.
That’s right, Ross. That tell That witness tells me she watched in horror as those kittens flew from that moving car. We’re talking three of them. She was able to catch up with that car and help police track down the suspect. It’s nonsensical. It’s diabolical. Little baby tabby kittens tossed like litter from a moving car.
25-year-old Valentina Tobon Henao is Brookhaven PD’s suspect.
They’ve charged her with animal cruelty for what Maria Stewart says she witnessed Wednesday afternoon on Osborne Road. All of a sudden I see one flying out of her window. Then I see another flying out of her window. Stewart says she was driving behind Henao.
When she got a glimpse of her through the rearview and realized what was going on, she says she knew what she had to do. I decided to follow her. Caught her at the next light, took pictures of her license plate. Brookhaven police say they quickly found Henao and the car she was driving at a business nearby. Officers asked Stewart to confirm it was her.
They said, “We’re just going to drive by. Please identify her if this is who you saw.” And she was absolutely the girl I saw. They found one of those three kittens on the side of the road dead. But a second was found alive. I’m grateful, very grateful that they found that kitten. Stewart’s friend Terry Eden took that kitten in and has been holding him tight since.
Very traumatized. He was sedated yesterday, so I think that got helped him get through the night. She brought him to the vet who said the 8-week-old kitten had a dislocated tail. Now she’s also leading the search for that third kitten who they think may be in the area of Brookhaven Park. I mean, he’s only 8 weeks old and it’s a crazy world out there with coyotes and birds of prey.
I just think this person’s a monster to have done that. They were tiny little kittens being thrown out of car. And Russ Jail records show Henau is free on bond. Mind you, this is just a misdemeanor charge and both Stewart and Eden think there should be stiffer penalties in this case. Brookhaven PD points out to us, however, their investigation into this is still active.
