In Murrieta on Sunday, Ezekiah James allegedly went onto his neighbor’s patio, removed his neighbor’s pet parakeet from its cage, ripped off its head, threw the dead bird at the neighbor’s window and then smashed the window with his fist. Police were called and they arrested James for animal cruelty, vandalism and public intoxication. Apparently, James and his neighbor had been involved in some dispute which may have triggered James to react this way.
Animal cruelty is a serious crime because it involves hurting a defenseless animal. What James allegedly did was considered active animal cruelty since it was an intentional and deliberate harm to an animal, while having malicious intent. The sentence for animal cruelty can be anywhere from a citation or fines to prison time. Whether you live in Huntington Beach, Fullerton or Aliso Viejo, if you are charged with animal cruelty, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.
If you want to know more about animal cruelty, or your own charges, call Orange County criminal defense attorney William Weinberg @ 949.474.8008 in his Irvine office.