PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A 64-year-old man from South Jersey is charged with shooting his neighbor's dog with an air rifle.
William Stroemel of Maple Shade, who goes by the nickname Wild Willie, is in Burlington County jail after allegedly shooting his neighbor's poodle with an air rifle last week.
According to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, the dog named Toby was shot with a pellet in the back of his head.
Toby was put down a day after being shot.
Officials say investigators got a warrant to search Stroemel's home on Monday. A .22-caliber pistol was found and he first was charged with weapon offenses.
Additional charges were added when Toby's necropsy results were made available and authorities were able to make a connection of the dog's death to an air rifle in Stroemel's possession at the time of the shooting.
Stroemel was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, animal cruelty and other related charges.
The 64-year-old is awaiting a detention hearing in Superior Court.