A Wayne NJ man recently pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges for beating his girlfriend s dog to death.
The domestic violence incident occurred at the suspect s residence in Wayne, New Jersey. According to Passaic County prosecutors, the suspect got into a verbal altercation with his girlfriend on March 18, 2016. The couple was reportedly arguing about the suspect s use of illegal drugs when the suspect snapped and began to attack the woman s dog. The dog, a seven-month-old Siberian Husky, tragically died later that same day.
The suspect, a 23-year-old man who resides in Wayne, NJ, was charged with third degree animal cruelty and third degree terroristic threats.
If the suspect had gone to trial in Passaic County Superior Court, he would have faced up to five years in New Jersey State Prison. That s because third degree felonies in NJ carry a potential sentence of 3-5 years in state prison.
However, the suspect ultimately avoided trial by reaching a plea deal with the Passaic County Prosecutor s Office. In exchange for the suspect pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and terroristic threats, Passaic County NJ prosecutors agreed to recommend that the suspect receive a lighter sentence.
The suspect recently appeared in Passaic County Superior Court and formally entered his guilty plea on the criminal charges. The suspect reportedly told the superior court judge that he beat the dog with the chair until the chair had broken into several pieces.
Now that the suspect has formally pleaded guilty to the animal cruelty charges, he faces up to a year behind bars in the Passaic County Jail. Additionally, it is expected that the suspect will be sentenced to five years of probation. This means that if the suspect violates the terms of his probation, he could wind up in prison for the full duration of his sentence.
For further information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “Man Admits Beating Girlfriend s Puppy to Death, Report Says.”
