Los Angeles, CA – A 25-year-old man has been charged with abusing his 3-month old puppy, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced yesterday.
Eljin Jermaul Holt (dob 8/30/91) faces one felony count of cruelty to an animal.
Holt pleaded not guilty to the charge yesterday and is scheduled to return on Aug. 10 to Department 34 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Case BA458129 was filed for warrant on June 12.
According to the criminal complaint, the defendant dragged and yanked his dog Indie on Nov. 24, 2016, causing the puppy to bleed, prosecutors said.
Deputy District Attorney Kevin Liu is the assigned prosecutor.
If convicted as charged, Holt faces a possible maximum sentence of three years in jail.
The case remains under investigation by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA).
This case began as a response to a report of animal cruelty from spcaLA’s Tipline (1-800-7722). spcaLA is the only private animal welfare organization in Los Angeles that is also Law Enforcement. spcaLA Humane Officers hold the same powers of Peace Officers in the state of California when investigating animal cruelty. Established in 1877, spcaLA is a nonprofit agency that relies on donations for its programs and services, including animal cruelty investigations. To donate, please visit spcaLA.com or call 323-730-5300 x233.