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Quincy man who burned caged raccoon sentenced to jail time
Andrew Chieu “committed a heinous crime that led to a raccoon’s tremendous suffering,” said the president of the wildlife center that cared for the raccoon in her final days.
A Quincy man will serve six months in jail after he pleaded guilty to burning a caged raccoon in 2023 and causing injuries that led to the animal’s death, prosecutors said.
Andrew Chieu, 64, pleaded guilty Monday to two charges of animal cruelty. In addition to his jail sentence, Chieu will spend two years on probation and will be prohibited from keeping animals during that time, the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said.
Norfolk DA Michael Morrissey said a neighbor briefly filmed Chieu placing the caged raccoon atop a fire on Dec. 30, 2023, before confronting him and calling the police.
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“The video showed the defendant stoking a fire in a can with newspapers and repeatedly placing the raccoon, which was trapped in a cage, on top of the fire,” Morrissey said in a statement.
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In court filings, prosecutors alleged that when police officers approached Chieu, he told them “there were too many animals in his garden and that he hadn’t done anything wrong.”
The female raccoon suffered severe burns to more than 60% of her body and succumbed to her injuries after about two weeks of surgeries and intensive wound care at both the Weymouth VCA and the New England Wildlife Center, prosecutors said.
Katrina Bergman, the wildlife center’s president, said in a statement Chieu “committed a heinous crime that led to a raccoon’s tremendous suffering.”
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“Today, District Attorney Michael Morrissey and his committed and talented staff sent a large message,” Bergman added. “People who harm animals will be held accountable.”
Dr. Martha Smith-Blackmore, a forensic veterinarian who performed a necropsy on the raccoon, said in an impact statement the animal suffered extreme pain in her final days.
“We must also maintain the understanding that the torture of this raccoon caused vicarious trauma in witnesses, first responders, caregivers, and the veterinarians who performed her postmortem exam,” Smith-Blackmore said. “The pain delivered to an individual radiates and affects society.”
Chieu’s attorney did not immediately return a message seeking comment Wednesday.
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