Girl, 14, charged with murdering well-known animal rescuer
A 14-year-old girl has been charged with murdering a well-known animal rescuer and veteran who was found tied up in his home.
Albert Chernoff, known as Alley Cat, was found by police tied to his bed with a large head wound and several slashes to his chest in the early hours of 5 November.
The officers were called to his house in Philadelphia, in the US state of Pennsylvania, to a report of a man in distress but when they got there he was pronounced dead.
A female was seen leaving the home before police arrived.
Police released CCTV footage from inside the home to try to identify her.
The clip showed her in pink tracksuit bottoms and a black jacket walking around his kitchen where some of his 11 cats were.
After the footage was released a 14-year-old, with her mother and two defence lawyers, arrived at the local police station to turn herself in.
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The girl, who has not been named, is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on 27 November.
It is understood she will be tried as an adult for alleged murder, tampering with evidence, robbery and obstruction of justice.
Mr Chernoff was a well-known cat rescuer in Philadelphia and in Toronto, Canada, and appeared on National Geographic TV’s reality show Rescue Ink about bikers who work to end animal abuse.
He was working as a building maintenance supervisor at Philadelphia International Airport and had previously been in the US army.
Mr Chernoff spent most of his free time rescuing and looking after cats and sometimes dogs, as well as supporting other veterans.
His friend, Angelo Ruffo, said: “Al was amazing, anything you needed he would do. He was known for building shelters for all the feral stray cats in the city. He was a good man.”
Hundreds of tributes from the animal rescue community have been made since his death, with many calling him a “kind, generous soul”.
His cats, including a 17-year-old, were taken from his home by animal control and are in foster care or with a rescue centre after hundreds of dollars were donated to help them.
