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A Mendota man pleaded guilty Thursday to strangling a puppy and will try, at his Jan. 19 sentencing hearing, to persuade a judge to not send him to prison.
Lucas R. Ramey, 20, entered a blind plea Thursday to aggravated animal cruelty, a Class 4 felony carrying up to three years in prison. The sentencing options also include probation, jail and community service.
Ramey will have a chance to address Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. at his sentencing hearing.
La Salle police were dispatched Sept. 2 to the 500 block of Bucklin Street in reference to a suspicious dog death. Police located a deceased puppy, four months old, wrapped in a garbage bag at a residence.
La Salle police conducted several interviews and determined probable cause existed to show that the dog was strangled.
Ramey provided a statement and told police he was upset with the dog after it continually defecated around the residence. Additionally, police found scratches on Ramey’s arms, which indicated the puppy struggled before succumbing to injury.