Cow dragged to death behind truck
Lakeville, MA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Feb 26, 2009
County: Plymouth
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Joseph Pacheco
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A Freetown man accused of tossing a rope around his escaped cow and dragging the defenseless bovine to its death behind a pickup truck could face five years in jail.
Police announced they are pursuing an animal cruelty charge against Joseph Pacheco, who says all he did was slaughter the beast.
But outraged residents, including a school bus driver who reportedly witnessed the road kill on the Lakeville-Freetown line Feb. 26, see it differently.
"It was awful," said bus driver Irene Briggs.
Lakeville Police Chief Mark Sorel said startled residents began calling and e-mailing police the day after the dragging death.
"I was shocked when I heard it," he said.
The cow, owned by Pacheco, strayed from his property and was later slaughtered, he claims. But police said they found a trail of blood that led to Pacheco's home.
The animal cruelty charge carries a potential five-year prison term and $2,500 fine.
Case UpdatesPolice in Lakeville are pursuing an animal cruelty charge against a man accused of killing a runaway cow by dragging it behind his truck.
Police say Joseph Pacheco of Freetown put the cow in a harness after it wandered into Lakeville and tugged it along the road, before it fell and was dragged and killed.
Police told The Standard-Times of New Bedford that they found hoof prints along the road and a trail of blood leading to Pacheco's house.
But Pacheco denied anyhing improper happened. He said the animal walked home with him without incident, and he later slaughtered it, which was his right as the owner.
The animal cruelty charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. | Source: Boston Herald - March 7, 2009
Update posted on Mar 7, 2009 - 8:37PM |
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