Mary Bowerman

USA TODAY Network

Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version of this story misstated the date when Haniyyah Barnes withdrew her guilty plea.

A New Jersey woman who tossed her neighbor’s dog into oncoming traffic during an argument over a parking space was sentenced to four years in prison Wednesday.

Haniyyah Barnes, of Newark, N.J., was convicted in October on animal cruelty, theft and criminal mischief charges, after breaking into her neighbor’s home in 2011, and fatally throwing her neighbor's dog into oncoming traffic. The 2-year-old Shih Tzu, named Honey Bey, was struck by a vehicle and killed.

In addition to jail time, the court ordered Barnes to perform 30 days of community service and to pay the neighbor $2,000 in restitution, AP reported.

The Essex County jury was unable to reach a verdict on the burglary charge, and Barnes is expected to face another trial later this year, AP reported.

Barnes plead guilty to animal cruelty in April 2014, but withdrew her guilty plea in February 2015, NJ.com reported.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Michele Miller said in court that Barnes "never took [the case] seriously."

"It was an ugly, cruel thing to do," Miller told the judge, NJ.com reported.

Authorities said the dog began barking when Barnes broke into her neighbor's home, so she grabbed the animal by its neck and threw it into the street.

A Newark police officer saw what happened and immediately arrested Barnes, who acknowledged in court that the neighbor had followed her outside, begging her to stop and not hurt the dog.

Contributing: The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger