According to Queens prosecutors, a couple took in disabled woman last year to help her save money—and then locked her away, took her money, beat her regularly and denied her food and medical care. Oh, and the woman, who is partially paralyzed on the left side, also allegedly had to clean up after the couple's cats and dogs for good measure [PDF]. This is not a happy story. more ›

Two men were seriously injured when a shopping cart fell on them at the Bronx Gateway Center. The cart was dropped from a parking garage near the Home Depot around 5 p.m. NY1 reports, "Police say a 52-year-old man is now in critical condition and a 30-year-old man who was sent to Lincoln Hospital is now in stable condition." more ›

A former NYPD detective was convicted of beating, raping and setting his wife on fire, after Tampa jurors refused to believe his claims that his wife and a masked man were trying to kill him. Christopher Hanney is now facing a possible life sentence for the crime. more ›

With a walloping 46.2 million Americans living in poverty right now, it's the perfect time to start an anonymous internet thread about how much money you make and how it makes you feel, right? No, really: check out this "What's your hhi and do you FEEL poor, middle class, upper middle class or rich where you live. No judging" thread on UrbanBaby, and prepare to feel nauseous inside. more ›

The Queens DA's Office announced that Larry Greene, 20, was charged with second-degree murder for allegedly punching and causing the death of his seven-month-old son Xiah. Greene, who had been babysitting his son, brought the unconscious baby to the New York Hospital Queens on Tueday. The child was pronounced dead and Green initially said he dropped the baby, but later admitted that he punched Xiah in the chest because he had been crying. Prosecutors also say that he told Xiah to "toughen up" and that Greene was allegedly upset because the baby seemed to like his mother more. more ›

The AP has a depressing story about the obstacles the Trenton, NJ police may be facing in its search for those involved in the reported gang rape of a 7-year-old girl whose 15-year-old sister sold her for sex. It says residents of the building where the assault allegedly took place are in a "quandary. If they identify the men responsible, they risk violent retaliation from the street gangs that stalk the neighborhood. 'We are mothers,' said tenant Shawntel Abner. 'If we aren't here, there is no one to watch our children. You are asking a lot of us. You are asking us to put our lives on the line.'" more ›

A knife-wielding commuter stabbed a passenger to death on the D train early this morning in a fight over a seat. Cops arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of repeatedly stabbing a 36-year-old man in the neck and face when the victim refused to move his bag from a seat on the northbound train at the 7th Avenue and 53rd Street station in Manhattan. more ›

A Long Island woman is suspected of torturing and killing as many as 20 cats and dogs — some of them belonging to her neighbors — before burying them behind her home. Animal control investigators unearthed the "gruesome pet cemetery" on Saturday behind 43-year-old Sharon McDonough's Suffolk County house after discovering five malnourished dogs kept in cramped cages inside the residence. According to WPIX, "McDonough frequently involved her children in the animal killings by asking them to hold pets down as she tortured them." Neighbors whose pets have gone missing showed up at McDonough's home hoping to identify their animals. "A couple of people have lost pets," neighbor Angelo Zotto, 70, told the Daily News. "They were up here today with pictures of their pets showing them to the SPCA, wondering if theirs had been found in the backyard." more ›

A judge overthrew a plea deal offered to suspected feline arsonist Cheyenne Cherry yesterday, potentially extending the prison sentence for the 17-year-old who is accused of killing a kitten by baking it in a 500-degree oven. According to the Post, "Judge Margaret Clancy, who had earlier approved the plea deal, said 'nobody realized' at the time that reducing a violent felony charge to a nonviolent charge was illegal." more ›

This is amazing (and sad): A one-year-old black-and-white terrier mix was apparently thrown off a Brooklyn apartment building—and survived. Neighbors called the ASPCA about the dog, who took her to a vet. The pup, named Oreo for her coloring, then underwent surgery at the ASPCA hospital, where vets repaired all of her limbs "with plates and screws. She also suffered internal bruising and damage to her lungs," according to the Post. more ›

Yesterday, Cheyenne Cherry pleaded guilty to two charges— attempted burglary and animal cruelty—"in a six-count indictment" related to an incident where she wrecked a friend's apartment as well as baked the friend's kitten in a 500 degree oven. The Daily News explains that the 17-year-old "Cherry was granted a plea deal [from the Bronx DA's office] because her cohort was 'more culpable' for the crimes"—the co-hort, 14, admitted to putting kitten Tiger Lily in the oven in the first place while Cherry said, "I didn't let the cat out." The two teens then ran out of the apartment, so they wouldn't have to hear the cat's cries or attempts to get out. more ›

The Daily News has some more details about Cheyenne Cherry, the 17-year-old accused of killing her friend's (or ex-roommate's or ex-lover's) kitten by baking it in a 200-degree oven. Cherry was arrested in 2008 after her "boyfriend snatched the pooch from a woman in a Bronx park... after holding a BB gun to her forehead" (Cherry had "friends show up with the dog when a $500 reward was posted"). Also in 2008, she robbed a man of his iPod at gunpoint, claiming it was a "joke," which is what she said of the kitten killing and, in 2007, she was busted for "smacking a girl in the head with jewelry." In spite of her history, she was released without bail after being charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, arson, burglary and criminal mischief for the incident killing Tiger Lily the kitten and damaging the friend's apartment. The owner of the teacup Yorkie that Cherry and her boyfriend stole told the News, "They wonder why this little girl doesn't learn right from wrong. If she's willing to kill a cat and steal my dog, what else will she do? She thinks she can beat the system." more ›

The ASPCA arrested a 17-year-old girl for killing her ex-roommate's kitten by putting the feline into an oven and leaving it to die. The Post described it as Cheyenne Cherry's "heartless attempt to get revenge on her lesbian lover." Cherry and a friend broke into the Mott Haven apartment of Valerie Hernandez, planning to trash the place. And the Daily News reports that Cherry allegedly told investigators, "I hate cats." Neighbors called the fire department, because a fire started and smoke was coming from the apartment. ASPCA Assistant Director Joseph Pentangelo said, "The kitten was burned alive, and it did not happen quickly. It was an agonizing death," adding that Cherry and the other person left soon after also slashing Hernandez's couch and stealing items, "She didn't want to hear the cat crying and scratching at the oven door... It's a shame that this kitten had to suffer like this. For the kitten to get caught up in whatever was going on with them is a tragedy." Cherry was charged with arson, burglary, criminal trespass and felony aggravated animal cruelty. more ›

A Hunter College student was arrested yesterday for molesting three Manhattan boys in his care. Jonathan Then, 20, was "dragged out of class" by the cops yesterday morning and then charged with sexual abuse, predatory sexual assault and other charges. The Manhattan DA's office says the investigation is continuing: "We have learned that the defendant has been a live-in nanny and baby sitter for more than 20 families throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey, and that number is growing. Each family we have spoken to has given us names of other families who hired the defendant and whose homes the defendant has been in." more ›

The daughter of the woman who was neglected in a hospital waiting room and died after being ignored by staffers has will sue the hospital, city and city's hospital agency for $25 million. more ›

After a surveillance video showed hospital staff ignoring a psychiatric patient's last dying hours in the emergency room of Kings County Hospital, city health officials say they will make a series of changes, like checking on patients every 15 minutes. more ›

A distressing video was released showing a 49-year-old psychiatric patient left to die in the waiting room of Kings County Hospital. The video shows the woman, identified as Esmin Green, slump and fall to the ground--and two guards and a doctor look in and ignore her. Finally, a nurse comes to check on her, but not before kicking Green, who was dead at that point. more ›