Dog cut with razor-blade covered stick Texas City, TX (US)Date: Apr 1, 2005 County: Galveston Local Map: available Disposition: Convicted
Abuser/Suspect: Manuel Garcia
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A man received probation in May 2006 for injuring his neighbor�s dogs with a stick affixed with numerous razor blades.
Manuel Garcia, 62, told jurors the stick, into which notches had been etched, then fitted with razor blades, was a garden tool designed to kill slugs and caterpillars.
However, police officers testified that he told them last year that he had placed the bladed stick into a hole at his fence line to teach his neighbor�s dogs not to dig there.
Having found Garcia guilty of animal cruelty, the County Court No. 1 jury could have sentenced him to up to a year in jail, as well as a fine of up to $4,000. Instead, jurors sentenced him to a year of probation and a $500 fine. If Garcia violates his probation, he could be sent to jail for 30 days.
Defense attorney Carlos Garza asked jurors for probation, citing his client�s clean record and the many family members who testified on his behalf. Even prosecutor Tiffany Theobald referred to Garcia as �a good man� who had �made a mistake.� Still, she asked jurors to let Garcia spend some time in jail, so that he felt the consequences of his actions.
She noted that police found a nearly identical stick in the same spot six weeks after Garcia�s initial arrest in April 2005.
In both cases, the dogs suffered numerous cuts to their paws. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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