Orange County man tied dog to SUV and drove until it died, prosecutors allege
An Orange County man is facing felony charges after he allegedly broke probation by tying a pregnant dog to an SUV and driving until it died, according to prosecutors.
Eric Lyn Holliday, 58 of Buena Park, was charged with one count of animal cruelty and one count of possession of a hard drug with two or more prior convictions, as well as violating probation.
In a news release, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said there's a "special place in hell for people who abuse animals."
"This was not an act of rage. This was a clear plan to kill a defenseless animal, and when he executed his plan, he drove off, leaving the animal's body in the alley for someone else to discover the horror of what he had done," Spitzer said. "Only someone who is pure evil could engage in such reprehensible conduct, and we will ensure the Court clearly understands what this individual is capable of and the threat he poses to public safety before any sentence is imposed. Violence against animals will never be tolerated, and every act of animal abuse will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Surveillance video from 7:35 a.m. Monday showed a driver of a Ford Expedition, later identified as Holliday, driving into an alleyway in the 600 block of S. Brookhurst Street in Anaheim. Holliday is then seen allegedly exiting the vehicle with a rope, which he then looped an end around a yellow parking bollard. The other end was looped onto the SUV's tow hitch.
Holliday then grabbed a milk crate out of the passenger side of the vehicle, which contained a small white dog. He looped the center of the rope around the dog's neck and tilted the crate to allow the dog to exit, the DA's office said.
At that point, he returned to the driver's seat and accelerated forward, tightening the rope and snapping the dog's neck. Prosecutors said Holliday was seen on video exiting the vehicle and taking one last look at the dog before driving away from the scene.
The dog, which prosecutors believe to be a 6-year-old pregnant Maltese, was left dead in the alley with a severed spine and arteries.
The manager of a nearby business discovered the dead animal and called the Anaheim Police Department. Officers later identified Holliday as the suspect and arrested him.
Prosecutors said he possessed several baggies of methamphetamine during the arrest.
If convicted, Holliday could face a maximum sentence of eight years, four months for the felonies. Prosecutors said he could face an additional maximum sentence of four years, eight months for violating probation.
He was placed on probation after pleading guilty on Oct. 15 to a felony count of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and one felony count of vandalism causing damage of $400 or more, after he attacked a coworker with a metal pipe.
No additional details were immediately made available.