Virginia woman pleads guilty to killing ex-boyfriend’s puppy by hanging it from tree

POWHATAN, Va. — A Virginia woman pleaded guilty Monday to killing her former boyfriend’s 10-month-old puppy by hanging it from a tree with an extension cord.

Yasmine Monae Burton, 22, of Powhatan County, entered a guilty plea to torturing an animal causing its death, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. Burton was accused in the Nov. 20 killing of Choppo, a tan and white pit bull puppy that was found hanging in the woods near Burton’s home, the newspaper reported.

Burton was arrested two days later, according to Powhatan County court records.

An accompanying charge of grand larceny against Burton was dropped, according to Powhatan Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Robert Cerullo. Burton had been accused of taking the animal from her former boyfriend’s home in Dinwiddie County, but Cerullo said he had not heard from the dog’s owner since Burton’s preliminary hearing in December, the Times-Dispatch reported.

Burton, who will be sentenced Oct. 22, could face up to five years in prison, according to Powhatan County court records.

Burton faces up to five years in prison when she is sentenced Oct. 22.

Although she initially denied hurting the animal, Burton admitted in a subsequent interview that she killed Choppo, “to get back at my boyfriend,” the Times-Dispatch reported.

“She indicated that she was upset with her boyfriend because he ‘beat me’ and ‘got me hooked on meth,’” Cerullo told the court.

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