Teen Allegedly Thrashes 85-Year-Old Neighbor To Death After His Dog Barks At Him

A teenager in India reportedly went to extreme measures when he got annoyed with his neighbor's dog – he murdered its 85-year-old owner. Police said the teen was angry because the dog barked at him.

The unidentified 17-year-old boy from Najafgarh, near the capital city of New Delhi, was accused of forcibly entering his neighbor's house on March 18 and thrashing an elderly resident, identified as Ashok Kumar, to death. The teenager was in a fit of rage after Kumar's dog barked at him, police said Thursday, The Indian Express reported.

When the suspect barged into the house and began thrashing the dog with an iron rod, Kumar tried to intervene and stop the boy from assaulting his dog. The teen got infuriated and attacked Kumar instead.

Cops arrived at Kumar's house after receiving a report of a scuffle at the residence. However, when the officers reached the scene, they did not witness any fight, and Kumar, who had critical head injuries, was already transported to a hospital. The victim succumbed to injuries during treatment two days later, police said.

"We received a call about a scuffle, and an investigating officer rushed to the spot. The complainant Meena (65) alleged that their neighbor, a 17-year-old boy, entered her house and beat her husband with an iron rod," Vikram Singh, an investigating officer, said.

The teen suspect was apprehended the same day and was released after he was presented before a juvenile justice board. He was arrested again on March 23 after Kumar's death, based on a complaint from the elderly man's wife. The teen is facing charges of murder, trespassing and voluntarily causing harm.

In a similar incident, a Florida man was arrested in October last year for allegedly killing his neighbor whose cat entered his property. Cliffton Bliss Jr., 58, from Central Florida, was arrested for allegedly shooting to death his neighbor, James Taylor Jr. Witnesses told police that Bliss was angry after the cat wandered into his property. He threatened to shoot the cat but later redirected his anger toward the owner when he pleaded with him not to hurt his pet.