Dog shot to death with arrow from bedroom window
Lino Lakes, MN (US)Incident Date: Friday, Mar 21, 2008
County: Anoka
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Erick Maxwell
A Lino Lakes family has filed animal cruelty charges against their neighbor. The Neuberger's neighbor, 21-year-old Erick Maxwell, shot and killed their dog with an arrow March 21.
Three-year-old Wally the dog was out in the yard when he wandered over to the neighbors house. He returned 10 minutes later with an arrow in his chest.
"Melissa and I ran outside and the first thing we saw was Wally trying to walk with an arrow through his lungs-- coming through both sides," said Edwin Neuberger. Edwin pulled out the arrow and rushed Wally to the emergency vet.
"He was fading on us and I was just hugging him and loving him and telling him what a good boy he was. And he died as we pulled up to the vet. We opened the door and he took his last breath."
Police followed Wally's trail of blood to a neighbor's house. They arrested 21-year-old Erick Maxwell who admitted he had been shooting out of his bedroom window. Maxwell claims he thought the 35-pound beagle mix was a fox, and had placed deer carcasses in his yard to bait animals.
Lino Lakes Investigator Sgt. Bill Hammes says that in another interview with Maxwell, Maxwell admitted he knew the animal he shot was a dog. "He was looking to shoot a coyote or a fox that night, and I think it was a kind of a thrill of the kill thing," said Hammes. Investigators are sending the case to the county attorney, who could charge Maxwell with felony animal cruelty.
Now the Neubergers want Maxwell to know that when he released that arrow, he did more than kill an animal, he broke all of their hearts. "I don't want him to think it was just a dog � no big deal because it was more than a dog." References |
