Font ResizeLAS CRUCES - A Las Cruces man has been arrested for animal cruelty after he allegedly killed his 4-month-old puppy by stepping on its throat for several minutes, according to a news release from the Las Cruces Police Department.
Richard Nelson McCord, 41, of 819 Parkview Drive, was arrested Sunday and charged with one count of extreme animal cruelty, a fourth-degree felony.
According to police, a witness saw McCord chasing the 4-month-old female border collie-mix on Saturday. The witness told detectives that McCord grabbed the puppy by its neck, placed it against a fence and repeatedly kicked the dog until it quit yelping.
Police detectives report
McCord may have killed the puppy later that day by stepping on its neck for five minutes or longer. McCord then allegedly threw the dog in a trash bin at his apartment complex.
A Las Cruces animal control officer was called on Sunday to investigate a claim of animal abuse. McCord told the officer that the dog's injuries were a result of being hit by a car.
McCord was arrested Sunday and is being held at the Dona Ana County Detention Center with bond set at $5,000.
