On The Run

Cheating justice: Man who poisoned his neighbors' dogs fails to show forsentencing, leaving animal lovers outraged

Charlotte Liberda (left) and an assistant DA wait for Qian Feng to show up forsentencing.
Photo by Katie Oxford
The court room sign about taking it looked ironic as the dog poisoning man nevershowed.
Photo by Katie Oxford
Charlotte Liberda talks to a large media contingent afterwards.
Photo by Katie Oxford
Dog lovers and friends of Liberda came out in droves for the sentencing.
Photo by Katie Oxford

Charlotte Liberda and her attorney showed up in Harris County Criminal Court on Friday to hear the sentencing of Qian Feng, who had pleaded guilty to poisoning her dogs. Friends and supporters showed up too.

So many in fact that the group was asked to move into the hallway until the sentencing took place.

About an hour later they were called back into the courtroom, but unfortunately no sentencing took place. The only person who had not shown up was Feng.

“Well, I was going to celebrate it today. The sentencing was going to be my birthday present.”

Feng plead guilty to animal cruelty charges last month, admitting to poisoning several dogs in his neighborhood, including Liberda's, with cheese balls laced with strychnine — a strong, odorless poison. He faced anywhere from six months to two years in prison before his no show. Additional time likely will be added to that now if Feng is found.

Judge Denise Bradley declared, “Bond is forfeited. Issue a warrant for his arrest.” A large sign in Bradley's courtroom reads "COME AND TAKE IT", words that rang hollow on a day when man who preyed on defenseless animals failed to show to accept his fate.

Afterwards, reporters circled around Charlotte asking her questions. In typical Charlotte style, she articulated her feelings of disappointment with poise. Thursday was Charlotte’s birthday but she had held off from celebrating.

“Well,” she told me, “I was going to celebrate it today. The sentencing was going to be my birthday present.”

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Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, including a sudden shutter and our favorite dishes of the month. Catch up on our most popular stories below, then plan your weekend right here.

1. Exclusive: Killen's Barbecue will soon shutter in The Woodlands. Killen’s Barbecue’s location in The Woodlands closed for good on Thursday, December 4, just a few days after the shutter was announced.

2. 2-acre Houston patio bar rebrands with new name and family-friendly menu. A bar in Houston’s Near Northside neighborhood is switching things up with a new name and revised menu. Effective immediately, Woodland Social is now known as White Oak Social.

3. 2 Houston suburbs named top-10 best Texas cities to move to. Several Houston neighbors have been deemed the best Texas cities to move to, with two local suburbs placing in the top 10.

4. CultureMap editor's 10 favorite dishes at Houston restaurants in November. November’s dining adventures consisted of a couple of new restaurants; an upscale, contemporary Chinese restaurant in River Oaks; an ambitious neighborhood eatery in Garden Oaks; and a buzzy barbecue spot on the border of Conroe and The Woodlands. Here are Eric Sandler's favorite dishes.

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5. Astros and Rockets finally launch streaming service for Houston sports fans. Houston sports fans finally have a way to watch their favorite teams without a cable or satellite subscription.