Why do right-wing influencers think Haitian immigrants in Ohio are eating people’s pets?
Prominent conservatives are blaming recent immigration from Haiti after a woman in Ohio was arrested for allegedly eating a cat.
The only problem? The woman has lived in America for the past six years.
The allegations arose over the weekend after right-wing users on social media discovered that a 27-year-old woman was charged last month with injuring animals, prohibitions concerning companion animals, and disorderly conduct.
The woman, Canton resident Allexis Telia Ferrell, reportedly "stomped on the cat's head to kill the animal before eating it in a residential area in front of multiple people" on Aug. 16, according to Fox News.
The story caught the attention of popular right-wing figures such as Malaysia-based commentator Ian Miles Cheong, who shared police bodycam footage of Ferrell's arrest to his more than 1.1 million followers.
Yet when one user asked whether drugs were to blame for Ferrell's behavior, Cheong alleged that the woman was a Haitian immigrant.
"Worse," Cheong replied. "Haitians."
The talking point rapidly spread across X, leading many to suggest that the woman's actions stemmed from her alleged Haitian heritage.
"Is this lady Haitian or from Haiti? They do this crap down there," one user said. "I'm hearing stories about cats and dogs being eaten thanks to illegals."
The footage also caught the attention of far-right influencer Charlie Kirk, who argued that Haitians were reportedly eating people's pets all across the country.
Conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec also weighed in on the topic by asking Grok, Elon Musk's AI, if laws in Haiti prohibited the consumption of cats.
"There are no laws in Haiti about eating cats," he said quoting the response.
The rumor even led to an influx of AI-generated memes, including one from Cheong in which former President Donald Trump saves cats from Haitian men in the Ohio city of Springfield.
Why are people saying Haitian immigrants are eating pets?
The false allegation stems from existing tensions between Haitian immigrants and some local residents in Springfield. The town, which has a population of around 60,000 has received an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 immigrants over the last four years.
The issue continues to be a topic of debate at city council meetings and saw an uptick in interest over the weekend after one resident complained that a Haitian immigrant decapitated the head of a duck at a local pond in order to eat it.
In the wake of the two stories, other conservative influencers shared unverified screenshots from alleged social media channels in Springfield, claiming residents knew about and other animals "stolen" by immigrants.
Springfield Police, in a statement, said it has not received any reports about missing pets.
And despite the claims, no evidence suggests that the woman in question is an illegal immigrant from Haiti.
Not a single media report on the incident alleges that the woman is Haitian. And a simple search reveals that Ferrell has been a registered voter in Ohio for the past six years.
"I keep seeing people claim that this woman who ate a cat is a Haitian migrant. But this is FALSE. I found her voter registration information, meaning that she's an American who happens to be black, not a recent Haitian immigrant," a conservative economics student studying immigration wrote. "Yet people jumped to blame and insult Haitians. Look, there are immense problems brought by illegal migration, but calling a national origin group 'worse' than "drugs" and lying or sharing false information is wrong. Stick to facts."
The two towns, Springfield and Canton, are also on opposite sides of the state.
This post has been updated with a statement from Springfield Police.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
The post Why do right-wing influencers think Haitian immigrants in Ohio are eating people’s pets? appeared first on The Daily Dot.