Woman gets 6 months for animal cruelty

SANDUSKY — A woman initially arrested nearly four years ago for animal cruelty was sentenced to jail recently. Mouheb A. Ashakih, 62, of Lakewood, received a six-month jail term after pleading guilty to a single count of cruelty to a companion animal, a fifth-degree felony. Ashakih was sentenced on June 11 by Erie County Common Pleas Court Judge Tygh Tone. She was also placed on community control sanctions for three years. Violating the sanctions could result in up to an additional year in jail, according to court records. She was ordered to pay all court fees. Ashakih must also have substance abuse and mental health assessments from facilities endorsed by adult probation. The case On Aug. 7, 2021, Sandusky police were called to a home in the 1000 block of Perry St. for the report of a dog locked in a car. Officers arrived and spoke to Ashakih, who claimed one of her dogs attacked another, so she locked it in the car as a punishment. It was more than 80 degrees that day and humid. Officers had to jump a fence to get to the car and found the dog slumped over and not moving, according to a Sandusky police report. Without keys available to open the car, officers smashed a window to gain access. The dog, named Chapo, "was not breathing with no signs of life," according to the report. "It was stiff and hot to the touch." The vehicle's interior was destroyed, covered in blood as if the dog was struggling, desperately attempting to get out of the vehicle. The dog's paws were bleeding, cut and covered in blood, the report said. Sandusky police Chief Jared Oliver said the incident was tragic and terrible. "The dog was fighting for his life inside this car," Oliver said. "The dog struggled inside the car but he was overcome by the heat. It's just terrible." Long road through the courts Ashakih was indicted in January 2022. A summons was issued for her to appear for an arraignment, but it was marked return to sender with the wrong address. It is not noted in court records if it was a court mistake or if Ashakih moved. Her bond was revoked, and the court then issued a warrant for her arrest. That warrant was not served until more than two years later in June 2024. Ashakih pleaded not guilty, and her bond was reinstated about a week later. In October, her bond was revoked for missing check-in appointments with adult probation, according to court documents. In November, she changed her plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. Then, in December, she was referred for a competency evaluation. On Feb. 6, her bond was reinstated yet again. Two months later, on April 9, a bench warrant was issued for her arrest once again, as she failed to show for a final pre-trial hearing earlier that day. Less than a week later, she was arrested and brought to court, where she changed her plea to guilty. Her bond was then reinstated for a third time. She then appeared for her June 11 sentencing and was taken directly to Erie County Jail after the hearing. Ashakih has an expected release date of Dec. 10, according to jail records.