Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers: 3 ways to submit anonymous tips
Here are three ways to submit an anonymous tip to Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers and possibly get a cash reward.
MARTIN COUNTY − A 16-year-old boy was arrested and charged with killing a dog that law enforcement officials said was recorded and posted on social media.
Martin County Sheriff’s Office records show the arrest occurred just before midnight Dec. 29 at a Indiantown residence.
The teen was charged with torture, inflicting pain or causing serious physical injury or death to an animal or cruelty to animals, classified as a third-degree felony.
According to arrest records, deputies were contacted by a resident of the home who said they had received a text message containing a video that had been posted on social media. The resident said the video showed the wounded and bleeding animal along with the hand of someone holding a bloody knife. The person said they recognized the dog, the knife and the voice of the 16-year-old as the person heard speaking in the video.
Deputies were told the teenager was given the pit bull dog by a friend in early December and he planned to use it for hunting wild pigs on the rural property.
He was asked to get rid of the dog days later by the same resident of the home who reported the video, and who told deputies they did not want the animal because of its breed.
Initially, the 16-year-old told deputies he did not know about the killing and had let the dog go “a couple of weeks ago” and that he had found the video online, according to the report.
After deputies found a knife and clothing covered in dog hair and matching scenes from the video, the teen told them the dog was last known to be roughly 150 yards from the home in a wooded area “tied to a tree,” according to the report.
Deputies did not find a body or remains, but saw a rope ripped at the end where the teen said the dog had been tied and left after it was killed “about a month ago…”
He told deputies he stabbed the dog twice and said he did it because he “wanted to get rid of it” and he wanted to keep its skull as a trophy.
He was initially charged with animal cruelty and taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Fort Pierce.
According to the report, deputies requested he be placed in “secure detention” because he was on felony probation at the time of the reported incident.
No one could be reached for comment by phone at a phone number associated with the address in law enforcement records.
Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers. Follow @coreyarwood on X, email [email protected] or call 772-978-2246.
Source link https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/crime/martin-county/2024/12/31/teen-charged-with-animal-cruelty-in-recorded-death-of-dog/77354875007/
