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Case ID: 2744
Classification: Shooting, Burning - Caustic Substance
Animal: cat, bird (pet), reptile, marine animal (pet)
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Vandalism, animal killing spree
Taunton, MA (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Aug 27, 2004
County: Bristol

Disposition: Convicted

Defendants/Suspects:
» Justin Ryan - Dismissed
» Vincent Morrison
» Keith S. Freeman
» Abraham Rodriguez

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

Four Taunton teens are charged with abusing and killing a city family's pets during a vandalism spree. The teens are accused of breaking into the home of William Humphrey while the family was vacationing in Maine. They also have been charged with malicious destruction of property, breaking and entering and larceny of a firearm.

Police filed animal cruelty charges this week against Justin Ryan, 17, of 17 West Britannia St.; Vincent Morrison, 16, of 95 Leahy Drive; Keith S. Freeman, 16, of 42 Cotuit Road; and Abraham Rodriguez, 16, of 27 Smith St. They will be summoned into court.

The teens caused more than $111,000 in damage to the home, smashing furniture and appliances, spilling paint, urinating on clothes, and stealing jewelry and guns.

Police said they stomped a fish to death, doused a lizard and tortoise in bleach, shot the family cat with a pellet or BB gun and ripped out some of a pet bird's feathers.

The metal pellet is still embedded 3 inches into the cat because doctors say removing it may cause more damage. The cat, named Abby, may not survive.

The family had to cut short their vacation when a next-door neighbor found the vandalism on Aug. 27.


Case Updates

A judge dismissed all charges against one of four youths accused of wrecking a family's house and abusing and killing their pets during a vandalism rampage last August.

Justin Ryan, 18, of West Britannia St. had charges of breaking and entering in the daytime for a felony, malicious destruction of property over $250, larceny of a firearm and cruelty to animals dismissed. Officials state that there was not enough evidence to go to trial.

Ryan was 17 at the time of the crime last August.

The other three teenagers, Vincent Morrison, 17, of Leahy Drive; Keith S. Freeman, 17, of Cotuit Road; and Abraham Rodriguez, 17, of Smith St. pleaded guilty last week in Juvenile Court. The three were juveniles at the time of the crime.

After the incident, Ryan was suspended from Bristol Plymouth Regional Technical School, where he is a senior and could not be reinstated until the felony charges were resolved.

Thomas Quinn, Ryan's attorney, said his client was framed and was innocent of the charges.

"He has been implicated by the unreliable statements of the juveniles. My client's arrest was based on those statements," said Quinn.

Quinn said there was no substantial evidence linking his client to the crime.

Morrison named Ryan as one of his accomplices, and Rodriguez told police that one of the stolen guns was in the trunk of Ryan's Acura.

The defendants were accused of breaking into Humphrey's ranch-style house while he, his wife and two children were vacationing in Maine.

The teens caused more than $111,000 in damage to the house as they smashed furniture and appliances, spilled paint, urinated on clothes and stole jewelry, two guns and Humphrey's corrections badge.

Police said they stomped a fish to death, doused a lizard and tortoise in bleach, shot the family cat with a pellet or BB gun and ripped out some of a pet bird's feathers.

The metal pellet is still embedded in the cat because doctors say removing it may cause more damage. The cat, named Abby, survived, Humphrey said.

The family had to cut short their vacation when a next-door neighbor found the vandalism on Aug. 27.

Morrison, the alleged ringleader, was charged with breaking and entering, malicious destruction of property over $250, larceny of a firearm and animal cruelty.

The judge postponed sentencing of Morrison to Dec. 30, two days after Morrison turns 18. He could still face jail time
Source: The Enterprise - May 26, 2005
Update posted on May 26, 2005 - 12:39PM 
Keith S. Freeman, 16, of 42 Cotuit Road, East Taunton; Abraham Rodriguez, 16, of 27 Smith St.; and Vincent Morrison, 16, of 95 Leahy Drive, were arraigned in Juvenile Court on animal cruelty charges brought by Taunton police following the Aug. 27 incident. A fourth teenager, Justin Ryan, 17, of Whittenton Street, is facing charges in District Court. He lost a motion for a speedy trial. At one point during the proceedings, Rodriguez' mother yelled in anger at Morrison, who confessed to the crime and has implicated the others as co-conspirators.
Source: The Enterprise - Oct 21, 2004
Update posted on Oct 21, 2004 - 10:11PM 

References

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