ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Pennsylvania man has been charged with stomping a puppy to death and punching an officer after police were called to a flea-infested home this week.
In a Facebook post, Altoona police said officers initially responded to the home Tuesday night for a report of an injured animal. Officers found that a one and half month-old Chihuahua puppy inside the home had a severe head injury and was “completely infested with fleas.”
The post said it was later discovered Richard Jukes, Jr. stomped on the puppy’s head, which caused the trauma and ultimately led to the dog’s death.
When police tried to talk to Jukes about the alleged incident, he punched one of the officers in the face.
Jukes was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, aggravated assault of a police officer, resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, recklessly endangering another person and disorderly conduct.
He was taken to Blair County Prison in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania in lieu of a $75,000 cash bail.
Police said eight other flea-infested animals — three dogs and five cats — were removed from the home by the Central PA Humane Society.
The Office of Children, Youth and Families was also called to the home because children ages 4, 6 and 9 were living in the flea-infested home.
Residents Stacy Friday and Stephanie Obssutch were arrested and charged with three counts each of endangering the welfare of a child and nine counts of animal cruelty.
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