Man Accused Of Stomping Puppies Pleads Guilty, Faces 6 Years In Prison

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A man accused last year of killing four pit bull puppies in south Baltimore by kicking and stomping on them faces six years in prison.

Donald Yearwood pled guilty last week to felony animal cruelty charges, according to the State's Attorney's office.

It happened inside a home in the 3700 block of 10th Street in the Brooklyn-Curtis Bay area in November.

Police told WJZ at that time that Yearwood was trying to sleep and was annoyed that the three-week-old puppies were making noise.

Yearwood allegedly kicked and stomped on the puppies and threw them down a flight of stairs. The State's Attorney's office says Yearwood did all this in front of five children under the age of 9.

After abusing the puppies, Yearwood allegedly put them in a box and left the house with them. Surveillance video appeared to show him tossing that box in a dumpster later.

When they were found, three were already dead. One was euthanized later at an animal medical center.

"The facts of this case are disturbing — first and foremost for its pure depravity — but secondly, for performing such a deranged act in front of children," Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said. "I pray that the children who witnessed this terrible crime are able to recover emotionally from such a traumatic event."

Yearwood is scheduled to be sentenced on October 19, 2017. Additionally, he faces significant collateral consequences in Anne Arundel County due to the fact that he was on active probation at the time of this crime.

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