Woman faces charges in cats' deaths

CHARLESTON -- A 49-year-old eastern Illinois woman has pleaded not guilty to felony animal cruelty charges after she was accused of drowning a cat and kitten in her toilet and trying to kill four more kittens.

Rebecca S. Strohl of Mattoon pleaded not guilty Tuesday to aggravated cruelty to animals and a misdemeanor attempted cruelty charge.

Mattoon police Officer Sam Gaines said Strohl's daughter and the daughter's boyfriend stopped Strohl from killing the four surviving cats.

Gaines said the daughter and boyfriend, Megan Ballard and Joe Berry, said Strohl told them she was killing the cats because she couldn't afford to care for them. Gaines said Ballard and Berry told him they were caring for the cats.