ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (AP) - A Maryland man accused of cutting a pit bull’s throat and tying the dog to a tree was sentenced to one year in jail, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Corey Markus Jones, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated animal cruelty and was ordered to complete three years of supervised probation as well as undergo mental health treatment, news outlets quoted the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office as saying.
Police were called to a neighborhood in Ellicott City on Dec. 30 for a report of blood in the area, which led them to the pit bull’s body, the agency said at the time. Jones was accused of slashing the animal’s neck and leaving it tied up. The dog had struggled to free itself before dying from its injuries, police said.
Investigators determined the pit bull was being cared for by friends of the owner in a nearby apartment and that Jones had recently been staying there. Officers found him hiding in the bathtub, the police statement said.
Under the terms of Jones’ sentence, he cannot have animals in his residence and cannot have contact with the dog’s owner, news outlets reported.
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