Case Details

House burned down - family dog killed
Cooper City, FL (US)

Incident Date: Sunday, Jan 12, 2003
County: Broward
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available

Abuser/Suspect: 16-year-old boy Aldahonda

Case ID: 823
Classification: Burning - Fire or Fireworks
Animal: dog (non pit-bull)
View more cases in FL (US)
Login to Watch this Case

A teenager charged with arson and animal cruelty after his family's home was gutted by fire will spend nine months to a year in a juvenile facility as part of a plea agreement reached with the Broward State Attorney's office.

The family dog died, and 11 members of his family were displaced when their home in the Rock Creek subdivision caught on fire Jan. 12 after the boy burned a photo of a girlfriend in the garage.

The teenager has had several run-ins with police since 1999, and prosecutors had the option of trying him as an adult. His lawyer, Paul Molle, said at a Jan. 14 hearing that the boy had been in ``ongoing therapy.''

He will receive some type of psychological evaluation and therapy while he serves his sentence, Molle said Monday, one week after the agreement was reached.

''Keeping it in juvenile court leaves his future open to him,'' Molle said. "That's the most important thing. It would have been devastating if he'd been charged as an adult.''

The investigation found that the picture the boy set on fire had not completely extinquished before the boy left the garage.  When he discovered the fire,  he brought the dog out of the house, but he lost control of the dog and it ran back into the burning home, inhaling quite a bit of smoke.  The dog then came back outside but died on the front lawn after firefighters tried to save it.

Neighborhood Map

For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.

Back to Top

Add this case to:   Del.icio.us | Digg | Furl Furl |

References

The Miami Herald
The St. Petersburg Times

« FL State Animal Cruelty Map

Add to GoogleNot sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.



Send this page to a friend
© Copyright 2001-2007 Pet-Abuse.Com. All rights reserved. Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy