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Woman pleads guilty to helping stab family cat to death

A 51-year-old Chicago woman pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to aggravated cruelty after admitting she helped her adult daughter kill the family's cat in Elmhurst.

Kelly Palermo now faces between one and three years in prison and fines up to $25,000.

DuPage County Assistant State's Attorney Kristin Johnson said Palermo became angry when the cat bit her around 9 p.m. on June 10, 2015, at her daughter's house on the 900 block of South Euclid. In response to the bite, she and her daughter, Samantha Palermo, 22, decided to kill the cat.

Johnson said Kelly Palermo held the cat down while Samantha stabbed the animal at least five times.

Kelly Palermo's 14-year-old son was able to briefly wrestle the cat away from his mother and call 911, authorities said, but Kelly Palermo quickly got the cat back.

When police arrived, Johnson said, Kelly Palermo was hosing off the back porch. She initially denied the cat was dead, but eventually led police to find the animal's remains in a trash bag.

Both women are free on $125,000 bail. Kelly Palermo's sentencing is expected to be set at her Sept. 13 court date.

Samantha Palermo is still awaiting trial on similar charges. Her next scheduled court date is Aug. 30.

Samantha Palermo has two separate battery cases pending from 2014, in addition to an unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia charge.

Prosecutors: Elmhurst women stabbed, killed family cat

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