Daniel Adams breaks into his parents' home to kill their beloved Labrador named Daisy

FLORIDA -- Pinellas deputies say a Dunedin man broke into his parents' house along with his girlfriend with the purpose of killing the family dog... and then stole an iPad to make the crime appear to be a burglary.

The victims called deputies on Monday night to say their Tarpon Springs home had been broken into, their Apple iPad stolen and Daisy, their 4-year-old Labrador Retriever, deceased.

After an investigation, deputies say they determined the culprits were the victims' son, 34-year-old Daniel Adams, and his girlfriend 28-year-old Lauren Curran. Detectives say Adams admitted to driving to his parents home, along with Curran and their child, with the intention of killing Daisy the dog.

The couple allegedly killed Daisy by injecting her with a needle filled with an unknown medication. Then to make it seem like someone else committed the crime, they stole the iPad.

As to why Adams and Curran would want to kill the dog: deputies say the suspects felt Daisy was dangerous, because it had previously nipped at one of their dogs and their son was afraid the dog would bite them.

Adams and Curran are charged with burglary, cruelty to animals and child abuse.

(WTSP 10 News - Jan 29, 2015)

Sale of Craigslist dog ends in fatal shooting

GEORGIA -- Two men attempting to sell a dog over the internet were involved in a fatal shooting in DeKalb County.

The shooting happened early Friday, when a breeder from Winder and his friend drove to 5044 Fairforest Drive with an English bulldog to sell to the man who answered their online ad.

Originally, police reported the ad was a Craigslist deal, then later said the sellers actually used the website Hoobly.com, another classifieds service.

According to DeKalb County Police Capt. Steve Fore, the 40-year-old buyer produced a gun, intending to rob the sellers. The breeder's friend pulled out a gun of his own and shot the buyer, killing him. The sellers called 911 after the shooting.

DeKalb County police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said the two sellers will not face charges.

The suspect, whose name was not released, tried to rob victims in similar ways at least four previous times. He took a dog in one instance and an iPhone in the other; two other victims did not file police reports against him. The man met at least one victim through Craigslist.

Parish also said the buyer offered the sellers $500 more than their $2,000 asking price if they agreed to meet at the Fairforest Drive location at midnight.

The dog was turned over to DeKalb County Animal Control until it can be returned to Winder.

(KYTX - Feb 1, 2015)

Man Accused Of Fatal Dog Tossing Charged With Robbery, Animal Cruelty

CALIFORNIA -- A man who eluded authorities for nearly a year after he was identified as the suspect in the killing of a woman’s dog in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood has been arraigned on robbery and animal cruelty charges.

Laurice Barrett, 36, of South San Francisco, appeared in court Thursday after his arrest in Vallejo on Wednesday by a team from the U.S. Marshals Service, who partnered with San Francisco police in the search for the suspect.

The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Dec. 28, 2012, in the first block of Leavenworth Street.

A 30-year-old woman had pulled over in the area to look for her cellphone. She exited her car and was walking to the passenger-side door when Barrett allegedly approached and grabbed her shirt while demanding money, according to San Francisco police.

The victim’s dog inside the car started barking and Barrett allegedly reached into the car, grabbed the animal by the collar and pulled it out.

He then threw the dog onto the street and ran away, police said.

Surveillance footage captured the suspect, believed to be Barrett, running away from the scene.

Investigators used those images to identify Barrett as the alleged suspect about a month later, according to police.

The victim took the injured pooch to a veterinarian but the dog died from its injuries.

Barrett was considered a fugitive until Wednesday when a team found him in an apartment in Vallejo.

He was arrested on suspicion of robbery, animal cruelty and on a probation warrant and was booked into San Francisco County Jail, police said.

He was arraigned on Thursday, according to the San Francisco’s District Attorney’s Office.

He is being held on $250,000 bail and is set to return to court on Dec. 11.

(Bay City News - Nov 23, 2013)