Girl, 14, in custody after well-known animal rescuer is found dead, tied to his bed with gashes on his chest
A 14-year-old girl, accompanied by an attorney, surrendered to the Philadelphia police on Thursday, November 7, night for the murder of a renowned animal rescuer Albert Chernoff who was found dead at his Northeast Philadelphia home on November 4. The police spokesperson Sgt. Eric Gripp revealed that no charges have been filed against her, but offered no details about the suspect, according to the Inquisitor.
59-year-old Chernoff, who was a war veteran, was beloved among the animal rescuing community was also the president of the Alley Cat Animal Rescue. Blake Martin of ACCT Philly, a local Animal Shelter is quoted as saying, "If you have rescued animals, cats in particular, in Philadelphia you've interacted with Al. He was a really sweet guy."
"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," another friend of Chernoff's, Angelo Ruffo, told the Daily Mail.
His body was found in his Northeast Philadelphia home on early Tuesday, November 5, just ahead of 3 am, naked and tied up to his bed. According to the authorities, there was a large wound on his head and gashes on his chest. He had died at the scene when the authorities had responded to a call from a neighbor who had heard screams from inside his home.
Based on the surveillance footage obtained from the scene of the crime, the suspect - yet to be identified - is seen walking through Chernoff's living room, washing their hands in the kitchen sink and browsing through his freezer and refrigerator before heading out of his home. The tall, thinly-built person with medium-brown complexion was described to have short, black hair. They were reportedly also wearing a black jacket, long sleeve pink top, red sweatpants, white athletic shoes, and a black backpack.
The cops are waiting for the medical examiner to determine the cause of Chernoff's death. Known lovingly as Alley Cat, Chernoff was caring for11 cats, three turtles, and two albino frogs, who were all removed from his home after his passing and will be transported to various shelters.