Vernon Boyd Eaton Jr
Virginia Beach, Va. - A man charged with felony animal cruelty appeared in court in Tuesday morning.
Vernon Boyd Eaton, Jr. was arrested last August after a deceased dog was found in the bed of his truck.
Eaton was expected to plead guilty Tuesday but that did not happen. Instead, his attorney asked the judge to withhold a finding of guilt until after a pre-sentence report could be completed and reviewed.
The judge said the evidence was sufficient for guilt, but withheld a finding of guilt until the sentencing, scheduled for June 21.
On August 1, a citizen called police after they spotted the dog in the truck at the Kempsville Plaza Shopping Center.
Police and Animal Control officers went out to the scene and found the dog in the bed of the truck with what officials said were “suspicious” wounds.
Eaton was arrested, charged with felony animal cruelty and later released on a $3,000 bond. As conditions of his bond, he was required to go to Edgehill Recovery Retreat Center for alcohol abuse treatment and is not allowed to have any contact with animals.
Eaton could spend up to five years in prison.
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Virginia Beach man charged with animal cruelty after dog found dead in truck bed
