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Animal Abuse Cases - Details |
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Dog (Leo) killed in road rage incident - (Santa Clara, CA - US) Crime Date: 02/10/2000
Case Status: Convicted
Case Updates: Available - Click Here
Abusers/Suspects:
Andrew Burnett
Case ReportIn what has probably been the most publicized case of road-rage since the invention of the road, last year's February fender-bender turned into a national manhunt, after the unidentified driver of a black truck reached into the second car, grabbed Leo, a 5-pound dog, and threw him across 3 lanes of traffic.
Leo was struck by a car and died on the way to the emergency vet.
In the months that followed, both the sympathetic and the furious people of North America flooded Leo's owner, Sara McBurnett, with support and consolation. A reward fund had accumulated to the size of $121,000 (USD) as of last month.
Burnett has been charged with killing Leo, a 10-year-old Bichon Fris�, by throwing the dog into oncoming traffic on the evening of February 11, 2000.
The 27-year-old man pleaded not-guilty at his arraignment in Santa Clara superior court on Friday. The trial date has been set for June 4, 2001.
The police had actually been investigating Burnett as early as February this year, after they received several anonymous emails alleging his involvement in the crime. The emails had been sent to a website maintained by Leo's owner and were subsequently forwarded to the San Jose police.
Meanwhile, Santa Clara police were holding Burnett in the county jail on an unrelated charge: stealing a company van as well as tools and equipment totaling $68,000 on December 8 of last year. He was arrested this past January 4.
For this crime, he claimed that he had wrecked the van after swerving to avoid a deer, and that he had been too dazed to notify his employer, Pacific Bell.
Somewhere in there, he was also charged with lying to get out of a speeding ticket.
Once Santa Clara and San Jose police made the connection, they searched Burnett's residence and found a black SUV with Virginia license tags (three sets) matching the description of the vehicle involved in the February (Leo) incident.
The man now faces three years in prison for grand theft and three years in prison for felony animal cruelty.
Case Updates
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