LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A 17-year-old boy is accused of arming himself with a katana-style sword and killing his family’s dog over the weekend before hiding the animal’s body in woods behind the family’s home, according to WFTV.
Lake County deputies told the news station that the teen’s parents called authorities after he made “jokes” or “sarcastic comments” about taking the dog into the woods and killing it with a sword.
Earlier, he had told his mother that he’d given the dog to a friend he went to school with, WFTV reported, citing an incident report. The teen’s stepfather told deputies that his stepson later admitted to killing the dog, according to the news station.
During a search of the family’s home, deputies said they found a katana-style sword in a sheath between the mattress and box spring of the teenager’s bed, WFTV reported. On the blade, deputies said they found dried blood and what appeared to be animal hair. The dog’s body was discovered during a search of the woods behind the family’s house, according to WFTV.
Investigators said the dog’s manner of death qualified for an aggravated animal cruelty charge, the news station reported. Under Florida law, individuals can face the charge if they are suspected of killing, tormenting or mutilating an animal “in a cruel or inhuman manner.” The third-degree felony carries a maximum sentence of five years.
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