CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #14186 Rating: 3.3 out of 5
Dog shot in the head, dies
Hobart, IN (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007
County: Lake
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Robert A. Predaina
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
The initial court hearing for a Hobart man accused of killing a loose golden retriever execution-style has been continued for a sixth time. Lake Superior Court Judge Sheila Moss on Friday agreed to reschedule the initial court hearing of Robert A. Predaina, 46, to 9 a.m. on Aug. 22, a court spokeswoman said.
The request to reschedule the case was made by Predaina's attorney.
Predaina has been charged with one count of cruelty to an animal and one count of criminal mischief. Both are punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.
According to court documents, Robert Predaina told police that on Aug. 15 he was sitting on his porch in the 300 block of South Virginia Street when a golden retriever walked up and growled, and that his dog, a pointer mix, began fighting.
That's when Predaina said he walked into his house and got a handgun, which he used to shoot the golden retriever in the head after it bit him.
Witnesses Nick Johnston and Katherine Andruszkiewicz testified they were out that night when they saw Predaina shoot the dog.
They said they did not see the dogs fighting or the dog attacking Predaina.
Case UpdatesA Lake Superior Court jury convicted a Hobart man of criminal mischief for fatally shooting a golden retriever more than two years ago.
Robert Predaina, 47, who was convicted Friday after jurors deliberated about two hours, faces a maximum one-year prison sentence and a $5,000 fine when he is sentenced April 16. The jury acquitted Predaina of animal cruelty, also a misdemeanor.
Predaina shot the 18-month-old dog named Max between the eyes at about 11:30 p.m. Aug. 15, 2007, after he claimed the dog was attacking him and his dog.
However, eyewitnesses testified that the retriever sat down prior to being shot in Predaina's front yard in the 300 block of South Virginia Street. Prosecutors said Predaina thought the dog belonged to a neighbor with whom he was feuding.
Deputy prosecutors Michael Toth and Shane O'Donnell and Hobart Deputy Police Chief Jeff White and Patrolman Mark Mokris were involved in the case, along with former Hobart police Patrolman Donald Briggs, now a Gary officer. | Source: post-trib.com - Mar 16, 2010
Update posted on Mar 19, 2010 - 3:23PM |
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