Case Details

Dog's throat slashed Thunder Bay, ON (CA) Incident Date: Friday, May 4, 2007 Disposition: Convicted Defendant/Suspect: Meliton Papa Lacuesta

Case ID: 12564 Classification: Stabbing Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in ON (CA) Login to Watch this Case

A north-side Thunder Bay man will spend a few more months behind bars for a series of offences, including a horrific attack on his dog.

At an Ontario Court hearing earlier this week, Meliton Papa Lacuesta pleaded guilty to various charges. The most serious related to a May 4 incident in which a young German shepherd-cross dog had its throat slashed.

The dog suffered five puncture wounds, some of them deep and near the jugular vein, necessitating surgery.

Lacuesta, who turns 29 today, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty. He was sentenced to a 60-day jail term.

Justice Dino Di Giuseppe also barred him from having any animals for two years.

The dog was treated at Northwestern Veterinary Hospital. Staff there named him Rudy. After spending six days recovering from his wounds, the dog was put in the care of the Humane Society.

�He recovered 100 per cent and he was adopted� about a month later, Humane Society inspector Dagmara Cieslik said Friday.

The Humane Society spent about $2,400 caring for Rudy. Lacuesta has been ordered to reimburse the organization that amount.

He also resolved charges from Oct 13. These related to an incident with his neighbour, who initially heard the dog�s anguished barking on May 4 and called police.

Court was told Lacuesta threatened his neighbour, threw bricks through the window of his house, kicked a door and damaged his car.

He received another 60-day sentence on charges of uttering threats and mischief. Along with a five-year weapons ban, Di Giuseppe also ordered restitution in the amount of $12,500.

He also ordered Lacuesta to remain at least 100 metres from his neighbour, effectively meaning he has to find new accommodations.

Lacuesta also received a 14-day jail sentence for an unrelated charge of driving with a blood alcohol content over 80 milligrams.

At about 2:30 a.m. on April 29, a patrolling Thunder Bay Police officer spotted a man slouched in the driver�s seat of a Chevy pickup truck stopped at Miles and May Streets. The driver then proceeded through a red light.

He was stopped a short distance later. A breathalyzer test at the police station returned two readings of 180 mg per 100 ml of blood.

Lacuesta was banned from driving for two years.

Once the jail sentences are served, Lacuesta will be on probation for two years.

References

Chronicle Journal - Oct 26, 2007

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