17-year-old accused of killing family dog with katana-style sword

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A 17-year-old boy is accused of killing his family’s dog with a katana-style sword and leaving its body in a wooded area behind their Lake County home over the weekend.

Deputies said the boy’s parents called to report suspected animal cruelty after the 17-year-old made “jokes/sarcastic comments” about taking the dog into the woods and killing it with a sword.

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According to an incident report, the boy’s stepfather said the teenager admitted to killing the dog after initially telling his mother that he’d given the dog away to a friend he went to school with.

When deputies searched the family’s home, they said they found a single katana-style sword in a sheath between the mattress and box spring of the boy’s bed. They said the sword had dried blood, and what looked to be animal hair on its blade.

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Deputies said the dog’s body was found in the woods behind the home.

Investigators said the manner of the dog’s death qualified for charges of aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony.

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