Prosecutors: Man shot, dragged family's dog
EVERETT, Wash. -- Snohomish County prosecutors have filed first-degree animal cruelty charges against a Snohomish man who they say shot a neighbor's dog and dragged the animal behind an ATV.
According to court documents, Michael J. Capretta, 56, had several altercations with his neighbors involving their dogs prior to the November 2009 incident that left a labrador named "Molly" dead.
Police wrote that the neighbors tried to keep their dogs from wandering off, but occasionally the dogs would get out and run onto Capretta's property.
In 2006, Molly and another dog ran into Capretta's yard, and the owners told police they heard three gun shots. Molly came back, but the other dog was never seen again, police said.
A month later, Molly again went onto Capretta's property and came home bleeding from a gun shot wound. The dog survived, and Capretta told the dog's owner that he shot the animal an it was alive only "because he missed," according to the court documents.
In November last year, Molly and another dog owned by the family got loose, and the owners told police they heard gun shots seconds later.
The other dog ran home, and the dogs' owner began calling for Molly.
Police say the woman saw Molly on the ground with a gun shot to the chest. Capretta allegedly yelled at the woman to get off his property and drove toward her on an ATV, knocking her to the ground.
The woman pleaded with Capretta to let him take her dog, but Capretta hit the woman in the head, put a cable around the dog's neck and dragged the dead animal away, according to the court documents.
"I always used to grab her ears and I was petting on her ears, yelling at him, and at the same time, talking to 911," said Molly's owner, Mary Fairhurst.
When police arrived, Capretta initially denied any involvement in the incident but later admitted to shooting the dog once before, investigators said.
Officers found the dog's collar in Capretta's pocket and found the dog's body a quarter-mile away after following a trail of blood.
"My kids lost their dog; their lost their pet; they lost their family member," Fairhurst said.
Capretta is scheduled to be arraigned February 19.
According to court documents, Michael J. Capretta, 56, had several altercations with his neighbors involving their dogs prior to the November 2009 incident that left a labrador named "Molly" dead.
Police wrote that the neighbors tried to keep their dogs from wandering off, but occasionally the dogs would get out and run onto Capretta's property.
In 2006, Molly and another dog ran into Capretta's yard, and the owners told police they heard three gun shots. Molly came back, but the other dog was never seen again, police said.
A month later, Molly again went onto Capretta's property and came home bleeding from a gun shot wound. The dog survived, and Capretta told the dog's owner that he shot the animal an it was alive only "because he missed," according to the court documents.
In November last year, Molly and another dog owned by the family got loose, and the owners told police they heard gun shots seconds later.
The other dog ran home, and the dogs' owner began calling for Molly.
Police say the woman saw Molly on the ground with a gun shot to the chest. Capretta allegedly yelled at the woman to get off his property and drove toward her on an ATV, knocking her to the ground.
The woman pleaded with Capretta to let him take her dog, but Capretta hit the woman in the head, put a cable around the dog's neck and dragged the dead animal away, according to the court documents.
"I always used to grab her ears and I was petting on her ears, yelling at him, and at the same time, talking to 911," said Molly's owner, Mary Fairhurst.
When police arrived, Capretta initially denied any involvement in the incident but later admitted to shooting the dog once before, investigators said.
Officers found the dog's collar in Capretta's pocket and found the dog's body a quarter-mile away after following a trail of blood.
"My kids lost their dog; their lost their pet; they lost their family member," Fairhurst said.
Capretta is scheduled to be arraigned February 19.