Man accused of strangling, killing fiancée’s puppy
Man accused of strangling, killing fiancée’s puppy
By Heidi Roman
C & G Staff Writer
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Police say a 3-month-old Yorkshire terrier was killed as the result of an argument between a man and his fiancée in their Clinton Township apartment.
The man is accused of wringing the puppy’s neck and throwing it on the ground after it tried to protect the woman from his assault March 30.
Police have charged 29-year-old Omar Lateef Lathon-Bey with the torture and death of an animal.
“He lives on Lotus (in the Newport Apartments) with his fiancée — maybe ex-fiancée now,” Capt. Richard Maierle said. “They had gotten into an argument.”
The dispute allegedly began when she caught Lathon-Bey talking to another woman online. An argument broke out, and he began punching and choking her, Maierle said.
Police said the woman’s dog tried to come to her aid by nipping at Lathon-Bey’s heels.
“He twisted his neck and threw the dog on the ground,” Maierle said.
The woman reacted by stabbing him twice in the arm, police said. A 911 call was made to police, who rushed out to the scene at 8:30 p.m.
Sgt. Tom Terzo found the puppy and rushed it to an emergency animal hospital on Gratiot, south of Hall Road, for treatment.
“They tried to save the dog,” but it died from injuries caused by the strangling at 2 a.m. March 31, Maierle said.
Lathon-Bey was arrested and charged with animal torture, a felony. He was arraigned in 41-B District Court in Clinton Township and is free on a $10,000 personal bond.
Police also arrested the girlfriend, whose name was not released, but the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office declined to authorize charges against her, Maierle said.
You can reach Staff Writer Heidi Roman at
hroman@candgnews.com or at (586) 218-5006.