WINTON, Calif. — A Winton man was arrested after deputies say he shot and killed his friend’s dog and then forced him, at gunpoint, to bury it.
According to the Merced County Sheriff’s Office, animal services received a report on Jan. 12 about an alleged animal cruelty incident at a Winton home. The reporting party told deputies it happened while he was at a friend’s home.
Deputies identified the suspect as 57-year-old James Charles Morales of Winton. Deputies said the incident happened after the two men appeared to be joking. Deputies said Morales allegedly became upset, pulled a gun, threatened to shoot the victim’s dog and then shot it multiple times, killing it…