Dog shot, dragged behind vehicle
Snohomish, WA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Nov 5, 2009
County: Snohomish
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Dismissed
Case Images: 1 files available
Person of Interest: Michael J Capretta
Case Updates: 3 update(s) available
A man in Snohomish is suspected of shooting and killing his neighbor's dog and the dog's owners believe it's not the first time it's happened.
Last week, as Marcie Fairhurst was getting ready to drive her son to school, their labrador-retriever mix Molly escaped and ran onto their neighbor's property.
"She wasn't out 5 minutes when I heard the gunshot. And my heart just sank," said Fairhurst.
Fairhurst ran to the backyard and saw her dog lying on her neighbor's property.
"I could see her laying there and I started screaming that he'd shot my dog, he'd shot my dog and he came down on his ATV and bumped right into me," Fairhurst recalled.
The mother of four claims he tried to run her over with his ATV and when she went to comfort the dog, he kept threatening her. Eventually, she retreated and watched in horror at what happened next.
"I couldn't take my eyes off her and I watched him wrap a cable around her neck and pull her paws up and drag her up that hill and I lost sight of them," she said.
Three years ago, Molly was shot in the back after running onto the neighbor's property. The family never had proof who shot her and charges were never filed.
Upon learning about Molly's case, Pasado's Safe Haven is now launching an effort to make sure justice is served in the case.
"To know she was shot once in the past, it's very heartbreaking that she suffered before and now right before Christmas, the family doesn't have her," said Pasado's Angel Ray.
The 56-year-old man was arrested, but has since been released. The case has been forwarded to the Snohomish County Prosecutor's office, but no charges have been filed.
If you would like to voice your opinion on the case, send a comment to the Snohomish County Prosecutor's office.
Case UpdatesHe was accused of fatally shooting and dragging a neighbor's dog behind an ATV. When he died, investigators found more than one freezer full of dead cats on his property.
Michael J. Capretta was charged with first-degree animal cruelty in the November 2009 death of Molly, a golden retriever and Labrador mix that belonged to his neighbors, the Fairhursts. Before he could be arraigned, however, 56-year-old Capretta committed suicide.
The Fairhursts have now filed a negligence suit against Capretta's estate, seeking unspecified damages for the emotional trauma they suffered.
After Molly ran off, her owner, Mary Fairhurst, heard a gunshot being fired, according to police. The woman ran out and saw Molly lying on a gravel road on Capretta's property with a gunshot wound to her chest.
When the woman ran to Molly, Capretta, who was riding an ATV, charged at the woman, knocking her to the ground. The woman told Capretta she only wanted to take her dog home, but Capretta kept charging, forcing her to put her hand, then her foot on the ATV to keep it from ramming into her. While on the ground, the woman managed to roll to one side and call 911.
Capretta then tied around Molly's neck a cable, the other end of which was tied to his ATV. When the dog's owner protested, he struck her on the head with his hand, the complaint said. Capretta then drove off in the ATV, dragging the dog behind him.
When questioned by detectives, Capretta denied any involvement. However, investigators found Molly's collar in the man's pocket. A trail of blood led them to Molly's body in the bottom of a ravine a quarter mile away. The ATV was found hidden in the bushes of someone else's property. Capretta later admitted to having shot the dog, investigators said.
But the incident wasn't the first time the Fairhursts' dogs had run into trouble.
In 2006, Molly and another dog got loose from the Fairhursts' home, and the owners told police they heard gun shots seconds later. The second dog, who was under the care of the family at the time, was never seen again.
Less than two weeks later, the Fairhursts' boys and Molly were playing in the backyard when a single gunshot was heard. Molly came running from the direction of Capretta's property, bleeding, the statement said. A shotgun bullet had entered on the top of the dog's back and exited near her tail. The dog survived, and Capretta denied involvement.
According to the complaint, tension between the neighbors began building just months after the Fairhursts moved into their Snohomish home in 1999.
Capretta cut down some of Fairhursts' trees without permission, and when they asked him to replant them, he refused, the document said. The Fairhursts filed a complaint, and the matter was settled two years later.
After the settlement, Capretta began hauling wrecked cars onto his property and putting them on display near the border of his 10-acre property.
"These vehicles were towed to this location to be used as eye-sores," the statement said, adding Capretta even hired crews to keep the border clear of vegetation so that the Fairhursts' view of the cars would not be obscured.
Capretta also dumped piles of cat feces near his property border, according to the document.
The Fairhursts eventually alerted county officials who forced Capretta to remove all vehicles except two as code allows, and bury all the cat feces.
"The size of the cat feces pile was such that Capretta was forced to use a large construction-type excavator to bury," the statement said.
While investigating Capretta's death, detectives found dozens of dead cats on Capretta's property.
The Fairhursts are seeking compensation for alleged harassment by Capretta. "These damages also include, but are not limited to, the unique, sentimental and/or emotional value of the Fairhurst pet, Molly," the complaint said. | Source: kboi2.com - Mar 31, 2011
Update posted on Mar 31, 2011 - 4:58PM |
A Snohomish man who was facing a first-degree animal cruelty charge for shooting and killing his neighbor’s dog killed himself Wednesday.
The man, 56, had a history of disagreements with his neighbors about their dogs, according to court papers. He was charged Feb. 2 and a bench warrant was issued on Feb. 19 when he failed to appear in court for arraignment.
Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies were called to the man’s home Wednesday morning for a welfare check, spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said. No one answered the door and the deputies left.
Police were called again just after noon to investigate an apparent suicide, she said.
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office said the man died of a gunshot wound and ruled the death a suicide.
The animal cruelty case was dismissed Thursday, prosecutors said. | Source: Herald.net - Feb 25, 2010
Update posted on Feb 25, 2010 - 6:29PM |
Snohomish County prosecutors have filed first-degree animal cruelty charges against a Snohomish man who they say shot a neighbor's dog and dragged the animal behind an ATV.
According to court documents, Michael J. Capretta, 56, had several altercations with his neighbors involving their dogs prior to the November 2009 incident that left a labrador named "Molly" dead.
Police wrote that the neighbors tried to keep their dogs from wandering off, but occasionally the dogs would get out and run onto Capretta's property.
In 2006, Molly and another dog ran into Capretta's yard, and the owners told police they heard three gun shots. Molly came back, but the other dog was never seen again, police said.
A month later, Molly again went onto Capretta's property and came home bleeding from a gun shot wound. The dog survived, and Capretta told the dog's owner that he shot the animal an it was alive only "because he missed," according to the court documents.
In November 2009, Molly and another dog owned by the family got loose, and the owners told police they heard gun shots seconds later.
The other dog ran home, and the dogs' owner began calling for Molly.
Police say the woman saw Molly on the ground with a gun shot to the chest. Capretta allegedly yelled at the woman to get off his property and drove toward her on an ATV, knocking her to the ground.
The woman pleaded with Capretta to let him take her dog, but Capretta hit the woman in the head, put a cable around the dog's neck and dragged the dead animal away, according to the court documents.
When police arrived, Capretta initially denied any involvement in the incident but later admitted to shooting the dog once before, investigators said.
Officers found the dog's collar in Capretta's pocket and found the dog's body a quarter-mile away after following a trail of blood.
Capretta is scheduled to be arraigned February 19, 2010. | Source: KATU News - February 3, 2010
Update posted on Feb 3, 2010 - 7:20PM |
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