Woman charged with killing ex-boyfriend’s newts with bleach in Crest Hill

A West Chicago woman killed her ex-boyfriend’s newts by pouring bleach into their tank, police said.

About 4 p.m. Thursday, Jessica Garcia, 48, was jailed on felony charges of aggravated cruelty to animals, aggravated cruel treatment of animals and criminal damage to property.

Will County Judge Victoria Breslan signed a $25,000 bond warrant for Garcia’s arrest following an investigation of the Oct. 29 incident by the Crest Hill police department.

Crest Hill Police Chief Ed Clark said Garcia poured bleach into a 55-gallon tank containing pet Kaiser newts that belonged to her ex-boyfriend. He said the incident occurred at a residence in the 1400 block of Pioneer Road.

Prosecutors alleged in a criminal complaint that Garcia caused between $500 to $10,000 in damages to the aquarium equipment for the newts.

Kaiser newts are amphibians about five inches in length and have a “distinctive, spectacular coloration,” according to AmphibiaWeb, a website affiliated with the University of California.

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has touted his office’s efforts to prosecute cases of animal abuse and neglect. Glasgow said he created the Animal Protection Unit within his office to specialize in animal cruelty cases.