Valdosta man indicted in dog's beating death

GEORGIA -- A Valdosta man has been indicted in a case involving a small dog that was beaten to death with a shovel and its remains placed in a trash can.
 
A Lowndes County grand jury indicted Daniel Ward Hopkins Jr., a.k.a. Daniel Torres, on one count of aggravated cruelty to animals, according to court documents.

The charge stems from a July 18, 2014 incident in the 2400 block of Seth Place.

The man stands accused of taking a Chihuahua-mixed breed dog for a walk, striking the animal in the head with a shovel, killing it, and disposing of the dog in a trash can, according to court documents and incident reports from the Valdosta Police Department.

A bench warrant was issued last week for Hopkins' arrest after the grand jury handed down the indictment, but as of Wednesday afternoon, he had not been taken into custody, according to the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.

A court date for Hopkins' case has yet to be set.

(Valdosta Daily Times - May 6, 2015)