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WILKES-BARRE — A Wilkes-Barre man admitted to stabbing and choking a Pit Bull named Bandit to death last summer.
Ryan Brown, 36, of 144 Carlisle St., was charged by humane officers with the SPCA of Luzerne County after the body of Bandit was unearthed from a shallow grave in the rear yard of a neighbor’s residence on July 11, according to court records.
A witness told police Brown was upset at Bandit for attacking his dog and killing a smaller dog in the neighborhood, court records say.
The witness claimed Brown used the collar and leash around Bandit to strangle the dog using his foot as leverage, and used a shovel to hit Bandit and stabbed the dog several times in the head area, according to court records.
Brown initially claimed he found the dog dead and buried it in the back yard.
A necropsy, similar to an autopsy, on Bandit revealed numerous wounds around its neck and deep stab wounds in its neck area by a knife, court records say.
Brown pled guilty to a felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals and a misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals before Luzerne County Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr.
Brown remains free on $25,000 unsecured bail and will be sentenced June 1.