A Florida man is accused of killing his girlfriend’s puppy as payback for her not returning home on time and ignoring his phone calls and text messages.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office told WSVN that Lawrence Graham, 19, said he allegedly killed the one-year-old Shih Tzu because his 16-year-old girlfriend did not return home at a certain time.
Graham told investigators he became angry when his girlfriend did not answer his calls or text messages on Tuesday, WTVT reported.
When he arrived at her house on Wednesday, he was angry that she was not there and thought she was cheating on him, according to investigators.
Officials said Graham then took his anger out on the girlfriend’s puppy, Jordan.
An arrest report states that Graham texted his girlfriend, “U got til 1030 if u not here by then I swear 4 God I’ll finnish Jordan off.”
Graham’s threats soon turned to physical violence when he kicked and slammed the one-year-old Shih Tzu before putting it into a plastic bag.
When the injured dog scratched holes in the plastic bag, Graham allegedly choked the dog to death.
Detectives say Graham then texted his girlfriend multiple times to tell her he killed the animal because she did not return home at a specified time.
“If u really loved him u woulda made it in time 2 save him,” Graham allegedly wrote in one of the messages. “Hope it was worth it.”
“This is a heinous crime that he did this to this poor dog that’s a year old,” Broward Sheriff’s Office Detective Sira Arroyo told WSVN. “Also, I mean, it’s a small puppy he eventually ended up killing. Thank God she didn’t come home ’cause who knows what he would’ve done to her.”
Authorities charged Graham with six counts of animal cruelty in connection with the crime. He is currently in custody at the Broward County Jail, where he is being held on $15,000 bond.