According to Columbus City Attorney Richard C. Pfeiffer Jr., 34-year-old Andre Barker is wanted for violating probation.
Barker pleaded no contest for allowing his dogs to attack and kill several animals in 2006.
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| Andre Barker |
As part of his sentence, Barker was ordered to pay restitution to the owners of the pets that were injured or killed.
Six years later, officials said, Barker still has not paid the victims, nor has he paid his fines and court costs.
Barker appeared a fugitive safe surrender last year in an attempt to get his warrants waived. However, authorities said they believe he may have left quickly after realizing he owed six months in jail for failing to comply to the terms and conditions of his probation.
On May 15, 2006, Barker's dogs, one of which reportedly had a chain around its neck in place of a collar and appeared to have stitches that were not done by a veterinarian, entered a neighbor’s gated back yard and killed the neighbor's dog, Shelby.
Officials said Barker's dogs dragged Shelby’s body around the yard by the neck, and then moved from house to house, menacing children and other dogs in the neighborhood.
Two weeks later, one of Barker's dogs killed another neighbor’s dog, a half-Maltese, half-Yorkshire Terrier the owner had inherited from his deceased mother.
According to reports, Barker entered the victim's back yard during the attack and yelled at the owner to get back in his house as the dog "mangled the lifeless 'morkie' in its mouth."
The next day, one of Barker's dogs entered the same neighbor’s house and attacked another dog, a mixed breed named Bernie, in the living room. Bernie survived the attack but required surgery.
The dogs were described by authorities as being pit bulls.
“Mr. Barker’s dogs terrorized an entire neighborhood,” said Assistant City Prosecutor Bill R. Hedrick. “While the years have passed, the scars—both literally and figuratively—remain.”
Hedrick brought charges against Barker for the dog attacks and successfully prosecuted him in 2006.
Barker’s past criminal record includes multiple counts of domestic violence, assault, felony drug possession, felony theft, criminal trespass, aggravated menacing, resisting arrest, receiving stolen property, obstructing official business, trafficking crack cocaine, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
(NBC4i.com - August 2, 2012)
