A Houston man has been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly wrapping a dog’s head in duct tape and beating it with a crowbar, according to a Harris County District Clerk press release.
Dwain Ray Riley, 58, faces up to two years in state jail if convicted. He remains in Harris County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bond.
Riley allegedly tied the dog, named Mud, to the wheel of a van on July 23 before striking him with the crowbar, according to the press release.
Jessica Milligan, the head of the office’s animal cruelty unit, said in the release that the allegations were “horrific,” and added that Riley “viciously beat a dog that had been rendered entirely defenseless.” (Milligan is the prosecutor responsible for putting “crush” video auteur/terrible human being Brent Justice away for a very, very long time.)
Originally from Dallas, Riley has a history of felony and misdemeanor charges in Dallas County, court records show. He pleaded guilty to assault of a family member in 2006, and court records also show earlier guilty pleas for theft, marijuana possession and burglary of a building.
He was scheduled for arraignment Wednesday; court records don’t show if Riley currently has an attorney.
This article appears in Jul 20-26, 2017.
