MICHIGAN CITY — A Michigan City woman could face time in prison for the alleged poisoning of a roommate’s dog, which suffered for several days before it died.
Brienna Comer, 23, is charged in LaPorte Superior Court 4 with animal cruelty for domestic violence purpose, a level 6 felony.
LaPorte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan said her alleged criminal actions in October stemmed from a personal dispute inside a home occupied by her and several other people in the 400 block of Hayes Street.
Summer safety:Michigan City council continues to fight downsizing of Coast Guard station
So far, authorities have not offered any possible motive for the alleged poisoning.
Fagan said more on what drove her alleged actions will be revealed if the case is presented to a jury.
“Any evidence regarding a personal dispute will be brought out in witness testimony at trial,” he said.
According to court records, Comer is accused of giving the brown and white pit bull synthetic marijuana to eat.
After consuming the drug, the health of the animal, Bruno, rapidly began to deteriorate with symptoms that included vomiting and heavy blood in his stool.
A few days later, police said, the dog was unable to walk, with his legs just “thrashing about.”
Unable to afford medical treatment for the dog, the pet owner asked a friend to euthanize his pet, which he did by striking Bruno on the head with a hammer, according to law enforcement.
Comer, a regular user of the synthetic drug, moved out after the dog was poisoned, police said.
Police also accuse her of leaving a short but hateful, obscenity-filled voice message on the Facebook account of a now former roommate in the home about what she did to the animal.
Initially, the voice message was kept a secret from the pet owner for about a week because of how devastated he was over Bruno’s death, police said. He then went to police.
According to investigators, synthetic marijuana when ingested by dogs can make them lethargic, very wobbly, and cause them to refuse to eat or drink.
Investigators said the odds of dying from synthetic marijuana poisoning are higher without early treatment.
Namely News:Local dogs take home championship honors in water sports and land races
Police were able to gather enough evidence for a judge to issue an arrest warrant for Comer about two weeks after the dog’s death.
She was taken into custody Dec. 13 in Martinsville, Ind., where the warrant turned up during a computer check by police outside a Pet Smart store.
According to police, officers were called there on a report of Comer and three other individuals causing a disruption inside the business.
Comer was charged by authorities in Morgan County with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct for becoming combative while taking her into custody on the warrant.
She was transferred to the LaPorte County Jail on Jan. 8 to face the dog poisoning allegations.
Comer could face up to a 30 months in prison if convicted of the animal cruelty charges.