Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “Can I be arrested without evidence against me?”
Police in Lincolnton, North Carolina say they have arrested an 18-year-old and charged him with one count of cruelty to animals after they say he choked a Chihuahua. Jason Hildebran was arrested earlier this week and released on $1,000 secured bond.
According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Hildebran was angry because his mother’s Chihuahua was barking at him. Rather than leave the room or try and calm down, Hildebran instead chose to choke the little dog to get it to stop.
Hildebran’s mother was obviously concerned and demanded Hildebran hand over the dog, however, her son refused, which resulted in a call to police. When officers arrived Hildebran was still holding the dog who was thankfully not hurt. The teen was handcuffed and arrested and the dog was returned to its concerned mother.
Now Hildebran faces serious criminal charges all because he lost his temper with the animal. North Carolina General Statutes Section 14-360 says that anyone who injures, torments, tortures or cruelly beats an animal can be punished with either Class 1 misdemeanor or Class H felony charges. So what’s the difference?