Massachusetts Teen Stomps Pet Chihuahua To Death Following Argument With Father, Threatens To Burn Down Home

A teen in Weymouth, Massachusetts, was arrested Monday (May 25) after he stomped his pet dog to death following an argument with his father.

Police responded to a Lake Street apartment Monday after receiving a report from the suspect’s father stating that his son had killed their family dog. The father told the officers that he had an argument with his son, 19-year-old Shykeim Basden, outside the building and the family’s Chihuahua, named Coco, was tied to a railing at the rear stairs.

“When the father entered the house, he heard an odd noise and heard the defendant stomping out the dog Coco. The father said he was shocked and frozen in fear as he saw the dog unrecognizable. He said the defendant had threatened in the past to kill the dog but did not think he would follow through,” Norfolk County Assistant Prosecutor Courtney Kiernan said.

The accused, while threatening to burn down the home, picked up the canine and fled the scene. The body of the dog was found in a pond. A few hours later, police received informed that the accused was in a parking lot. He was taken into custody. Police found blood on his shirt and shoes when he was being arrested.

“All of the clothes will go to the (crime) lab for testing,” Kiernan said.

Meanwhile, the accused was booked on charges of cruelty to animals, the malicious killing of a domestic animal, threatening to commit a crime and vandalism to property. On Tuesday, the court ordered him to be held without bail.

The incident comes days after a teen in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was arrested after he filmed himself dropping a dog from the balcony. The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office started investigating the incident after they were notified about a video on social media that showed a dog being dropped from the balcony. The man in the video was identified as 18-year-old Jashon Tyrell Hampton and officers confirmed the canine was a stray dog. The teen was taken into custody and charged with felony animal cruelty. His bond was set at $1,000.