In a case a Yakima County prosecutor described as "concerning," a man is accused of strangling the family dog in a dispute with his wife.
A woman who is a friend of the suspect's wife told sheriff's deputies Sunday night that the suspect was texting his wife and threatening to hurt their dog if she did not come back to their Toppenish-area home, and sent a photo of the dog strung up, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The suspect's wife, who said she is divorcing him, said he sent her a series of texts in which he said he was going to torture the dog, the affidavit said. Among the texts were a photo of the dog dangling from a cord, accompanied by threats that he was going to kill the dog if she did not comply, the affidavit said.
"I really thought you loved your dog more than that," one of the texts said, according to the affidavit.
Deputies went to the Germantown Road home where, when deputies contacted him by phone, the suspect said he would not speak to them, but he let them in after deputies said they were not going to leave, the affidavit said.
Once inside, deputies saw a black electrical cord that had been tied into a loop and the dog appeared to be uninjured, the affidavit said.
Deputies arrested the man on suspicion of first-degree animal cruelty, and domestic violence harassment, the affidavit said.
At a Monday preliminary appearance hearing in Yakima County Superior Court, Deputy Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Barrett said the suspect could also be charged with domestic violence extortion. The suspect has prior convictions for assault and reckless endangerment in Yakima County District Court, Barrett said.
While the suspect has a low risk of not appearing for future court hearings based on the court staff's evaluation, Barrett asked for $25,000 bail.
"The conduct is definitely concerning for animal lovers and people who don't want domestic violence in the community," Barrett said.
Defense attorney Melissa Derry said court staff recommended that the suspect be released under court supervision. A nephew of the suspect also asked that the suspect be released on his own recognizance due to medical issues.
Judge Jared Boswell agreed to release him under the pretrial release program, with the stipulation that he have no contact with his wife or any animals.
