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Case #11799 Rating: 3.6 out of 5
Dog stolen from vehicle, throat slit
Arundel, ME (US)Incident Date: Friday, Jun 8, 2007
County: York
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Michael Morin
Case Updates: 4 update(s) available
A Biddeford man faces charges of auto burglary and cruelty to animals after being arrested in connection with the fatal mutilation of a Jack Russell Terrier.
Michael Morin is accused of breaking into a truck's passenger compartment and stealing the dog. This reportedly occured outside Bentley's Saloon in Arundel.
Morin had apparently been a dating a woman who lived near the bar, and he thought that the dog's owner had been visiting her, said York County Sheriff Maurice Ouellette.
Morin allegedly slit the dog's throat, leaving it to bleed to death in the bed of the truck.
Morin was arrested Wednesday night after people came forward with information about the case.
Morin is scheduled to appear in Biddeford District Court on August 15, 2007.
Case UpdatesMichael Morin of Biddeford will spend eight months behind bars for killing a dog named Bandit outside a bar in Arundel last summer.
Morin, 47, pled guilty Thursday to one count of aggravated cruelty to animals - a Class C felony. A separate charge of burglary of a motor vehicle - a Class D misdemeanor - was dropped.
In addition to the jail time, Morin was ordered by the court to pay the dog's owner, Ron Pelletier of Kennebunk, restitution in the amount of $875. Morin will also be on probation for two years following the completion of his sentence.
According to Lt. Gary Fecteau of the York County Sheriff's Office, Morin slit Bandit's throat on the night of June 8, 2007, while the dog was sleeping in Pelletier's truck, which was parked outside Bentley's Saloon on Route 1. The apparent motive was retaliation against Pelletier, who supposedly offended an acquaintance of Morin's.
When arrested last June, Morin was originally charged with misdemeanor cruelty to animals. However, York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence decided to charge Morin with aggravated cruelty to animals, which moved the case to York County Superior Court.
Lawrence said the difference between a basic cruelty to animals charge and a felony cruelty to animals is whether the person accused of harming an animal acted with "depraved indifference."
Animal rights advocates and pet lovers from all over York County and beyond organized a petition drive and a protest during Morin's first court appearance this past fall.
The protesters, led by Ree Gonzalez of Standish, not only held a rally outside the York County Courthouse in September to urge the court to give Morin a stiff sentence, they also wrote letters and sent e-mails to Lawrence's office and to local news media outlets.
In a written statement released Thursday, Gonzalez thanked those who turned out to support Pelletier and protest Bandit's death.
She also said, "Please remember that there are many animals out there still that need us in one way or another. Please remember to support your local (animal) organizations by volunteering, donating whatever you can, whether it be money or supplies, and never be afraid to speak up." | Source: Keep ME Current - March 3, 2008
Update posted on Mar 3, 2008 - 2:38PM |
Michael Morin will appear in York Superior Court next on December 20 at 8:30 a.m. for a pre-trial conference.
He is accused of breaking into a truck's passenger compartment and stealing a Jack Russell terrier outside Bentley's Saloon.
Morin allegedly slit the dog's throat, leaving it to bleed to death in the bed of the truck, following an argument with the dog's owner. | Source: York County Superior Court Case #CR07-1801
Update posted on Oct 17, 2007 - 2:06PM |
A Biddeford man has pleaded not guilty to allegations he slit the throat of another man's dog and left the pet to die in the man's truck.
Forty-seven-year-old Michael Morin is charged with animal cruelty and burglary of a motor vehicle for allegedly breaking into the truck outside a restaurant in Arundel in June and killing the dog named Bandit following an argument with the dog's owner.
Morin was arraigned yesterday in York County Superior County.
Bandit's owner was there too, as were about 35 protesters who carried signs calling for a harsh sentence for Morin. | Source: WMTW - Sept 12, 2007
Update posted on Sep 13, 2007 - 2:44PM |
The case against Michael Morin has been upgraded to a felony, and he is scheduled to be formally arraigned on September 11 at 8:30 a.m. in York County Superior Court
He is accused of breaking into a truck's passenger compartment and stealing a Jack Russell terrier outside Bentley's Saloon.
Morin allegedly slit the dog's throat, leaving it to bleed to death in the bed of the truck. | Source: York County Superior Court Case #CR07-1801
Update posted on Aug 17, 2007 - 6:31PM |
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