If Chris Haney’s crimes had remained limited to burglary, he would be your run-of-the-mill sneak thief — the sort of lowlife who skulks around under the cover of darkness, breaking into other people’s homes and taking what belongs to them. But in late November, Haney extended his criminal enterprise to stomping on a family’s pet dog repeatedly, ultimately killing it — which makes him a monster.
As of yesterday, when Newport, Ky., finally caught up him, Haney became a soon-to-be-caged monster. Newport Police Chief Maurice Shults told Knoxnews.com that he had never seen a break-in-gone-bad as brutal and heartless as this one in his three decades in law enforcement.
Haney, who is 22, was charged on counts of aggravated burglary and aggravated animal cruelty. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing and is currently out on $25,000 bond.
During the Nov. 28 burglary, Haney pocketed more than $1,000 in stolen goods from the home of the LaForce family, also of Newport. But something else that he took from them is irreplaceable. It was the life of their beloved dog, Simon. It is still unclear why Haney battered the pup to death with his heavy boot, though one theory is that he was trying as to quiet the pooch, which might have otherwise alerted sleeping family members.
The crime so outraged community members that the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley in December added a reward of between $500 and $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator.
Police are now in the process of recovering the stolen loot, which includes electronic equipment and a firearm. The one priceless object Haney stole from the LaForces can never be returned to them.
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