Dog stolen, found dead
Fairview Park, OH (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Feb 12, 2005
County: Cuyahoga
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: George Ronald Taips
A man accused of stealing his neighbor's dog is ordered to undergo a mental assessment before facing theft and animal cruelty charges. A judge said he wanted George Taips, 84, to undergo some tests before he issues a bond in the case.
The neighbor's poodle was found dead Saturday (Feb 12, 2005). The poodle belonged to a young girl. Investigators said Taips got fed up with the dog's barking and stole it.
Joe Pagonakis reported that North Olmsted police were able to trace threatening phone messages allegedly left by George Taips. The woman who received those calls actually got them by mistake, but she helped police in their investigation.
Taips appeared in Rocky River Municipal Court, charged with killing his neighbors' toy poodle. The dog's body was later found in the Metroparks' Rocky River.
Police say Taips left the threatening messages on a phone he thought belonged to his neighbor. Instead, they went to Holly Dibin, of North Olmsted. Dibin said she tried to tell Taips that he called the wrong person, but she says he just kept dialing, making dozens of calls over a three-month period.
In one message, Taips said, "Your damn dog woke me up 10 o'clock last night, 5 o'clock this morning. You're asking for real trouble."
In another message he said, "We have a right to sleep, understood by your dog. And you will pay for this, you (expletive)."
Dibin called police, who told her to press star-57 next time he called. She gave the caller's information to police.
The recorded messages will be used as evidence to try and prove Taips killed his neighbors' dog with premeditation.
The judge in the case will not hold Taips in jail, nor will he set bond in this case, until Taips is given a mental assessment.
If convicted on the charges, Taips could be given jail time.
The family that owned the dog is very upset about the incident, and wonder why Taips didn't just knock on their door to address the problem. References |
