Mendota man indicted for animal cruelty

A Mendota man was indicted with felony animal cruelty for a puppy found dead under suspicious circumstances.

A La Salle County grand jury convened Tuesday and indicted 20-year-old Lucas R. Ramey on cruel treatment of animals, a Class 4 felony carrying up to three years in prison. He remains held on $50,000 bond.

La Salle police said officers were dispatched Sept. 2 to the 500 block of Bucklin Street in reference to a suspicious dog death. Police located a deceased puppy dog wrapped in a garbage bag at a residence.

La Salle police conducted several interviews and determined probable cause existed to show the dog was strangled and ultimately died as a result of injuries intentionally inflicted by Ramey.

Ramey later told police he was upset with the dog after it continually defecated around the residence.

Also indicted Tuesday were: Ramil Julian, 46, of Utica (aggravated battery); Javier Aparicio, 57, of Streator (two counts of aggravated DUI); Alejandro Madrigal, 23, of DePue (criminal damage to government property); Layton Pinney, 20, homeless (unlawful failure to register as a violent offender against youth); Bryan Page, 40, of Ottawa (unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver; two counts of aggravated DUI; two counts of driving while revoked; unlawful possession of a controlled substance); Aric Kain, 48, of Ottawa (aggravated home repair fraud); Austin Housley, 28, of Rochelle (retail theft); Matthew Kornewald, 44, of Rock Falls (retail theft); David Gruenwald, 57, of La Salle (aggravated home repair fraud); Nicolaus Phillips, 23, of La Salle (domestic battery); Tevin Miller, 29, of Paw Paw (unlawful possession of meth); Anthony Luth, 25, of La Salle (two counts of aggravated battery); McGuire Johnson, 24, of Princeton (unlawful delivery of meth); Kelly Antram, 56, of Marseilles (two counts of forgery); Jeffrey Zweeres, 50, of Marseilles (three counts of reproducing child pornography); Tiffany Lange, 28, of Mendota (two counts of forgery); Vernon Andrews, 36, of Streator (two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance); Alterida Phillips, 46, of Streator (two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance); Shawna Stevenson, 27, of Streator (two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance); Leodies Jordan III, 35, of Streator (three counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance); Tyshawn Stewart, 24, of Riverdale (two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance); Steven Bottoms, 39, of Streator (unlawful delivery of meth; unlawful possession of meth with intent to deliver); Robert Matthews, 50, of Streator (unlawful possession of meth); Kathryn Krus, 37, of Wyoming, Ill. (unlawful delivery of meth); Debra Stevenson, 69, of Streator (unlawful delivery of a controlled substance; permitting the unlawful use of a building).