A Wicker Park man accused of killing and torturing a series of kittens, then replacing each one with a look-alike purchased through Craigslist, avoided prison Monday by accepting a resurrected plea deal moments before jury selection was set to begin.
Thomas Martel, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of animal torture and one count of aggravated cruelty to animals after Cook County Judge Sharon Kanter said she would honor a previous plea offer of 54 months, even though prosecutors had withdrawn it. With credit for more than 1,000 days spent on electronic monitoring and Illinois’ standard 50% sentence reduction, Martel will not serve any time in prison.
“Kanter chose to give Martel a way out instead of giving the victims their day in court,” the Garrido Stray Rescue Foundation said in a Facebook statement Monday…