Animal cruelty charge changed
CHICORA — A West Virginia man accused of hitting and badly injuring a dog with a sledgehammer waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday.
But under an agreement reached between prosecutors and his attorney, John G. Riordan, 47, of Rock Cave, no long faces a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to an animal in the case.
He also is charged with a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence and a traffic violation.
State police arrested Riordan on Sept. 21 after they say he attacked Jason Anthony's 13-year-old springer spaniel Bailey with a sledgehammer while staying at the home of Anthony, his former friend, on Green Manor Drive in Summit Township.
At Riordan's preliminary hearing before District Judge Lewis Stoughton in Chicora, Butler County Assistant District Attorney Russ Karl agreed to change the felony to a second-degree misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty. The other charges were unchanged.
Riordan waived all of the charges to court. His attorney, Michael Zunder, declined to comment following the proceedings.
Asked the reason for the decision, Karl said, “Because the dog is mending just fine, and that's good news.”
He said the news of Bailey's improving condition came from investigating officer Trooper Francis Walters, who spoke to Anthony outside Stoughton's office.
However, when contacted by telephone later, Anthony, 46, who works for the federal government, acknowledged that he talked to the trooper, but was surprised when informed about what happened after he left Stoughton's office.
“I was under the impression we were going to revisit the felony charge in 30 says,” he said, “to see what the other (veterinarian) bills would be and any other ramifications.”
He said his understanding was that in 30 days, all parties would be back at Stoughton's office, where a decision would be made about the felony charge.
That also was the understanding of his ex-wife, Michele, who accompanied Anthony to Stoughton's office for the hearing.
“I am stunned,” Anthony said.
Walters could not be reached at the barracks.
With the felony charge reduced to a misdemeanor, Stoughton agreed to lower Riordan's bond to $10,000.
Anthony, meanwhile, said Bailey is home and continues to recover from his injuries.
“He's physically healing,” Anthony said. “He does need some future dental surgery. Mentally, he's not the same, and I don't think he ever will be.”
The alleged assault left the dog with a badly swollen snout and jaw, missing and broken teeth and mental trauma, according to police and Anthony. Also, the victim's house was covered in blood from the dog's injuries.
The small sledgehammer was found in the guest room where Riordan had been staying. Police said there was blood on multiple parts of the suspected weapon.
Later that night, troopers found Riordan on Route 8 in Penn Township, alone in a car with the ignition on. He allegedly smelled of alcohol, and police said he admitted to drinking earlier that night.
Police also noticed he had blood on his pants.
The defendant was subsequently arrested and charged. He was given a $150,000 bond and placed in the Butler County Prison. He has remained behind bars since his arrest. A suspected motive for the attack on Anthony's dog is apparently unclear.
