Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced last week that Tamica Neal, 45 of Crestwood, was sentenced January 23 to one year in prison for Aggravated Cruelty to Animals, a Class 4 felony. Neal was found guilty of Aggravated Cruelty to Animals and two counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Class A Misdemeanors, following a four-day jury trial before Circuit Judge John Connor that concluded on November 7, 2024.
On March 17, 2024, the Crest Hill Police Department was dispatched to 1906 N. Hickory Street for a disturbance involving the defendant and her boyfriend. Witnesses indicated that when they attempted to break up the altercation, the defendant ran out of the bedroom to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, the defendant grabbed a knife and swung it at a victim and also put a minor in fear of getting struck by that knife. The owner of the home where the defendant was staying owned a female dog the defendant stabbed multiple times, causing her to later succumb to her injuries.
“Protecting animals helps all of us.” Glasgow said. “That’s why I wrote the Illinois Animal Torture Statute, which created the first felony charge in the state for the abuse and torture of animals, as well as founded the Animal Protection Unit in the State’s Attorney’s Office to prosecute cases of animal abuse and neglect.”
Neal was eligible for a sentence of either probation or one-to-three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The one-year sentence in prison will be served at 50 percent, and Neal will receive 17 days credit for time served. During the sentencing hearing, the court considered the defendant’s history, which included previous incidents in which the defendant used or attempted to use a knife during altercations.
Glasgow thanked Assistant State’s Attorneys, Jeffrey Brown and Lauren Senko, Victim Witness Advocate Elizabeth Ruiz, and the Crest Hill Police Department for their hard work and dedication in this matter.
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