Lancaster man pleads not guilty to beating pit bull mix puppy
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A Lancaster man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to animal cruelty after he was allegedly caught on cellphone video punching and hurling his 6-month-old pit bull mix to the ground, authorities said.
Los Angeles County prosecutors allege the man, 53-year-old Robert Emmett Martin, body-slammed and punched his dog, Daisy, in front of his house in the 500 block of East Lancaster Boulevard last week.
The alleged incident was caught on cellphone video, which shows a man yanking, pulling and swinging the dog up by its leash. The man then picks up the dog, which barked a few times, before slamming it to the ground.
Daisy is currently being cared for by the L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control, according to prosecutors.
If convicted as charged, Martin faces up to three years in jail. He is scheduled to return to court Aug. 22, according to the district attorney’s office.
For breaking news in Los Angeles and the Southland, follow @Caitlin__Owens, or email her at caitlin.owens@latimes.com.
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