BROOMALL, Pa. (WPVI) – A Pennsylvania man is facing charges after he allegedly tried to poison his neighbors’ dogs with chocolate and meatballs filled with rat poison because they were barking too loudly.
Joshua Hunter says it all started about two weeks ago when his family found hundreds of pieces of chocolate scattered across the yard of their home in Broomall. They quickly collected it because it would be poisonous to their dogs, Sushi and Hoagie, who love to play in the back.
“Fast-forward from that incident to two days ago, my son woke up again, took the dogs out – we’re on high alert – and there’s meatballs… about 10 or 12 of them, all over the ground with eight to nine rat poison pellets in them,” Hunter said.
Neither Sushi nor Hoagie was injured, but Hunter says one of the dogs actually had a meatball in its mouth. One of his children pulled it out before the dog ingested it.
The family’s surveillance cameras captured the suspect in the act during the overnight hours. Hunter says he couldn’t believe what he saw in the video.
“The guy took his time at four o’clock in the morning, both times with the chocolate and this time to make meatballs and put rat poison in them. He was right outside our bedroom door doing this,” he said.
Just a few hours later, police started canvassing the neighborhood and quickly arrested 63-year-old Mark Nugent, who lives less than a block from the Hunters. He was reportedly still wearing the same outfit seen in the surveillance video.
Nugent allegedly admitted to the crime, saying his motive was the dogs barking too loudly when playing outside. He faces a string of charges, including cruelty to animals, according to Marple Township Police Chief Brandon Graeff.
The suspect was released after posting 10% of $50,000 bail, and Hunter says that has him stressed out.
“I’m sitting here with ALS [amyotrophic lateral sclerosis] in a wheelchair with five kids and my girlfriend. I don’t feel safe at all. We’re losing sleep. In the meantime, this guy is out, and I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Hunter said.
Nugent’s next court hearing is scheduled for later this month.
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