Elmhurst mother, daughter charged with stabbing family cat to death

A west suburban woman is accused of stabbing her family’s cat to death while her mother held the animal down Wednesday night.

Samantha Palermo, 21; and her mother Kelly Palermo, 50, are each charged with one felony count of aggravated animal cruelty, according to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.

Kelly Palermo was at her daughter’s home in the 900 block of South Euclid in Elmhurst about 8:50 p.m. Wednesday when she became angry with the cat, a statement from prosecutors said.

She picked up the cat and held it down while her daughter stabbed it several times, prosecutors said.

Kelly Palermo’s 14-year-old son got the cat away from his mother and called 911, but she took the cat back from him and held it down while Samantha Palermo stabbed the animal several more times, eventually killing it, prosecutors said.

Both women were taken into custody at the older woman’s home in the 5900 block of North Ozanam in Chicago later Wednesday night, prosecutors said.

“The allegations in this case are beyond disturbing,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the statement. “The very idea that two adults would work in tandem to kill a helpless family pet is sickening and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Both women were ordered held on $125,000 bonds Thursday, according to the statement. If they post bond, they were ordered not to possess any animals.

Kelly Palermo | DuPage County sheriff’s office