Horrific ‘Crush Videos’: Pennsylvania Woman Charged After PETA Tip

After receiving a tip from PETA, police in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, arrested a woman who allegedly live streamed and posted “crush videos”—in which humans harm animals for the sake of a sick “fetish”—on YouTube. Officials thanked PETA for the information leading to this arrest and urged anyone who comes across similar content to contact law enforcement if they know where it’s been filmed.

Arrested for ‘Crush Videos’

Police charged and arrested the woman on January 19 after PETA caseworkers were able to deduce her identity and location using clues and background details they had discovered in her videos, including one that included a tour of her house in Upper Darby.

So far, charges against her include four felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. PETA is pushing feds to file charges under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act.

The suspect’s latest video—uploaded on January 17—appears to show her torturing a chicken for 10 minutes before stepping on and killing the bird with a dull knife. In other videos, she appears to cut animals and scald them with boiling water. In a September upload, she seemingly disembowels a frog while singing “Happy Death Day” to the tune of “Happy Birthday.”

The Animals Killed for These ‘Crush Videos’

Every animal is someone, not a prop to be mutilated for disturbing videos. The arrested woman allegedly slowly beheaded a pigeon and tortured and killed frogs, a rabbit, and a chicken—all individuals with distinct personalities and a desire to live. Some of these animals’ agonizing deaths were prolonged for 30 minutes or more.

In a January 23 interview, PETA’s Emergency Response Team director, Kristin Rickman, spoke with gratitude about the Upper Darby police’s swift response to PETA’s report:

“They’ve done a great job, and they’ve understood fully how damaging this content is, not only for the animals who suffer indescribable agony and torture but also for the minds of the people who watch. Most people who might stumble across this would likely be traumatized by this content, but others actually seek it out. This kind of activity is just so deplorable and so damaging that anyone engaging in it needs to be sought and held accountable.”

We should never use our fellow animals for entertainment. Instead, we should choose compassion and show kindness to other species when selecting what we watch and create.

Take Action for Exploited Animals

Always report cruelty to animals. Contact PETA if officials are unresponsive.