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Police: Elgin woman starved dog on apartment balcony

A 24-year-old Elgin woman is accused of leaving two small dogs on her apartment balcony for a week, causing one of them to die of starvation, according to an Elgin police report and court records.

Tyquence M. Jude, of the 1200 block of Fleetwood Drive, faces anywhere between probation and up to three years in prison if convicted of felony aggravated animal cruelty.

An Elgin police report said the investigation began Oct. 9 when a tenant at the Buena Vista Apartments told management of a dead dog on the balcony of a third-floor apartment.

A resident saw the body of a female Chihuahua-shih tzu mix, later identified as Buttercup, its head and neck slumped between the wrought irons bars on the balcony railing, said Elgin Police Animal Control Officer Matt Ciesielczyk.

No one answered the door, so Buena Vista officials let themselves in, according to the report.

"There was no food, water or shelter on the balcony for the dogs and there were no blankets to keep them warm or protect them from the cold weather," the report said. "The dogs had no means of entering the apartment since the glass slider door was completely closed."

Elgin Police Cmdr. Glenn Theriault said under normal conditions, Buttercup should have weighed between 8 and 10 pounds, but was only 3.25 pounds.

The other dog, a male shih tzu named Gucci, weighed 8.75 pounds but should have weighed between 11 and 12 pounds.

"This was not a hoarding-type situation," Theriault said. "This was straightforward neglect, not providing food or shelter to the dogs. We believe the dogs were there six days on their own."

Jude, who had left her apartment on Oct. 3, returned Oct. 10 and told apartment management she "forgot about her dogs being on the balcony and went to Chicago for the week," the police report said.

Jude also told police she had her mother-in-law go to the building to try and throw food up onto the balcony, the report said.

Elgin police said a report from the Golf Rose Animal Hospital in Schaumburg pegged starvation as the likely cause of death for the smaller female dog. Gucci is being housed there and the city plans to file forfeiture papers in court, Ciesielczyk said.

Theriault said police believe Jude owned Gucci for about two years and Buttercup about six months.

Jude was arrested last week and was being held at the Kane County jail on $7,500 bail, meaning she must post $750 to be released while the charges are pending.

She is next due in court Thursday.

According to court records, Jude does not have any previous criminal or animal abuse arrests in Kane County.

She was wanted on a failure to appear in court warrant from a March 2014 ticket in Elgin, charged with failure to provide notification for a damaged, unattended vehicle.

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