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Accused of shooting
Pomeranian, menacing
its owner with a rifle
BY NATHAN C. GONZALEZ
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Authorities filed criminal
charges against a 60-year-old
West Valley City man accused
of shooting his neighbor's dog
and pointing the weapon at the
owner on Sept. 9.
Gary Deloy Griffiths posted
$5,000 bail and was released
Sept. 12 from the Salt Lake
County jail, where he was held
on suspicion that he killed his
neighbor Ryan Pahl's 7-pound
Pomeranian, Ozzie, according
to West Valley City Police.
Charges filed against Grif-
fiths in 3rd District Court on
Thursday include aggravated
assault, a third-degree felony;
aggravated cruelty to animals,
a class A misdemeanor, and
discharge of a firearm, a class
B misdemeanor. |
Griffiths could not be reached
Thursday for comment.
He had told police he shot
the dog because it was chasing
his cat in his yard, which is
abutted by Pahl's. However,
Pahl told police that Griffiths
was known to remove slots in
his fence.
Pahl claims Griffiths enticed
the dog into his yard, at 4494 S.
Stonewood Dr., with dog food
and then shot the animal while
Pahl's 3-year-old daughter
watched, Sgt. Bill Merritt said
last week. When Pahl crossed
into Griffiths' yard to get the
wounded dog, the shooter
pointed a .22-caliber rifle at
Pahl warning him to "be
careful or you could be next,"
police said.
Police later recovered the
weapon inside Griffiths' garage,
court documents state.
The dog was euthanized
nine days later after undergoing
multiple surgeries. |