By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
There are crimes where a defendant’s depraved actions almost beg for a strong sentence. Torching a pet store and pouring kerosene on puppies certainly qualifies.
Just over a year ago we reported the case of Gloria Eun Hye Lee who, along with codefendant Kirk Bills were accused of conspiracy, insurance fraud, arson, and animal cruelty for an outrageous event where the two set fire to Gloria’s Las Vegas Prince and Princess Pet Botique.
Court records describe how Kirk and Gloria entered the pet store and while being video taped by a surveillance camera acted to set alight the property with Kirk going so far as showering the puppies with an accelerant and later starting the fire. Fortunately the sprinkler system knocked down the flames before the dogs and puppies were injured. Firefighters who quickly arrived on-scene rescued the animals inside.
After Gloria’s arrest a judge at her bail hearing increased bail from $40,000 to $310,000. Gloria has prior convictions for other felonies in California: for escape; larceny from a bank; and forgery. Prosecutor Shanon Clowers has noted that Gloria was born in Korea and was a flight risk considering her ties to that country and California.
According to a Las Vegas Review Journal article, Gloria also had a prior run-in with Clark County animal control officers in 2008. She was charged with 37 counts for violating county ordinances in caring for the animals in her pet shop, including failure to vaccinate the animals and improper confinement of the animals. The case was later dismissed after Lee corrected the violations.
Kirk managed to travel to Crown Point Indiana where an FBI task force took him into custody.
Animal rights supporters picketed the courthouse during nearly each of Gloria’s court appearances and there were numerous calls for a long sentence.
The two dogs were given to an animal rescue organization and the remaining puppies were auctioned off for two hundred fifty dollars each in a charity fundraiser for a local animal shelter. A custody battle involving Gloria and the dogs lasted several weeks prior.
Originally Gloria was charged with twenty seven animal cruelty charges in addition to conspiracy, arson, and insurance fraud. In October of 2014 she pleaded guilty to these charges, save only one count of criminal attempt of animal cruelty, as a result of a plea bargain. The remaining previous charges were dropped.
During her sentencing hearing, Gloria attempted to make a case for introducing a courtroom declaration that she was three months pregnant. Prosecutor Clowers accused her of making a manipulative bid for a “get-out-of-jail-free card” by announcing her pregnancy.
Clark County District Court Judge David Barker was not impressed and stated that he believed Gloria to be using her pregnancy to eek out a lesser sentence. He then handed down a sentence of five to fourteen years in prison–nearly the maximum of what the prosecutor asked.
Kirk pleaded guilty to arson and criminal attempt of animal cruelty.
Now, it seems Gloria will discover what it is like to be on the other side of the cage.
By Darren Smith
Sources:
Las Vegas Review Journal
KOMO News
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
Trooper York
Hey she is Korean. They have a different attitude about dogs. She thinks of them as …….appetizers.
Stop your white privilege! Respect other cultures. They are just as valid as yours.
She was changing her business model….to Korean barbecue!
Stop it Trooper York cause you beat me to it. lolol
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Trooper York
You make me laugh. Not a laugh that I am proud of producing, but a laugh. Thankfully, the animals were saved and this woman and her cohort will be punished.
Immediate abortion, sterilize her, when sentence is done send her back to Korea. North Korea.
Only subhumans intentionally hurt animals, even worse, baby animals. Thanks to firemen getting them to safety. And now many have forever homes. If you’ve ever had a dog, especially from puppyhood, you know the love they give.
I like heavy sentences for this as a deterrent for anybody considering doing this type of thing.
Sadly, seniors have to give up their dogs when going into full-time care facilities. The dogs are given to rescue organizations. There’s a big push for people to give these pets a loving home for their last years. I say this to spread the word. We’re thinking of taking our 3-year-old toy poodle to visit and see if there are any she isn’t afraid of.
Hey she is Korean. They have a different attitude about dogs. She thinks of them as …….appetizers.
Stop your white privilege! Respect other cultures. They are just as valid as yours.
She was changing her business model….to Korean barbecue!
What horrible people. I am so grateful that the animals were miraculously saved from injury. Although being exposed to accelerant fumes might have hurt their respiratory systems and make them prone to having problems.
It sounds like the poor unborn child is very unfortunate in the mother he or she will be born to.
Since this is CA, I wonder how much time this person will actually serve. If the last arrest is nonviolent, then they get released. Of course, it could be a killer or rapist, but if he’s just arrested for parole violation, back out he goes. http://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-ff-early-release-20140817-story.html#page=1
There was a woman that I am aware of who ran an equine rescue. It is my understanding she only accepted healthy horses, and then she starved them. She even had movie stars having fundraisers for her. She had money in the bank, but she fed the horses wood pellets and a tiny fraction of the hay they needed to survive. She set an astronomical price as an “adoption fee” and even when anyone was willing to pay it, she always refused to adopt any horses out. The horses all looked like they were evaporating. She was finally caught, and after killing one horse and starving almost 30, all she actually served was a month in jail. She always had the “poor me, I’m just a kind hearted rescue” defense, but it turned out she had a lot of money in the bank.
It is shocking how often rescues turn out to be either hoarders subsidizing their habit, or abusers. It’s always a good idea to check with the local animal control before donating to a rescue organization.
Very sad for the incipient child……on the other hand being adopted away from this sociopath might be the best thing ever for her child. She can deliver the child in jail and I’m sure someone who is desperate to have a baby will gladly give him/her a good life.
The puppies also seem to have made out well.
An odd side note to this story – when first questioned about the fire, she tried to blame it on her estranged husband. She is now pregnant with his child while she and her boyfriend head to prison.
So it was her shop, and she didn’t know there were surveillance cameras?
Genius!
I agree with the sentence, but I think it will be appealed.