EVERETT — Romeo came to her as a puppy, a gift for her 21st birthday from her mom.
For a decade, she and the 15-pound Cockapoo were best friends. He was by her side when she moved into her own apartment for the first time and was a constant companion as she attended college. Romeo was her biggest comfort when, in 2007, her mom died unexpectedly.
“He was my last living connection” to her mother, the woman said in court on Thursday.
On Christmas Day last year, while she was at her job at Seattle Children’s Hospital, her then-boyfriend beat the dog to death. The first blows happened in front of a 6-year-old girl and her parents, who were there for holiday dinner. The terrified couple rushed out of the house with their sobbing daughter. Jonah Brown continued the beating.
A necropsy showed that Romeo had broken ribs and internal bleeding. The dog had bruises all over his body. His aorta had been ripped from his heart. A veterinarian said the animal’s heart had been reduced to “hamburger.”
On the eve of trial last month, Brown, 34, pleaded guilty to first-degree animal cruelty. He didn’t admit wrongdoing but conceded that a jury likely would convict him of the allegations.
On Thursday, Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Linda Krese sentenced Brown to a year in jail, the maximum allowed under the law.
“This is a significantly troubling crime. This is not a mistake. This was a vicious attack on a defenseless dog,” Krese said.
She wasn’t persuaded to allow Brown to serve some of his time doing community service. She said hadn’t heard anything to convince her that the defendant was sorry for his actions.
“I have only heard that he is remorseful for the difficulties it’s caused him in his life,” Krese said.
He has no explanation for his behavior that day, the judge said.
Krese agreed to let Brown serve his time on work release. He told the judge he has a good job and is expecting to enter the second year of his apprenticeship as an electrician.
“I am sorry,” Brown said. “I didn’t plan to harm any dog on Christmas day.”
His dinner guests told police that Brown was angry that the dog was begging for food. His friends told Brown that Romeo wasn’t bothering them.
Brown grabbed the dog by the scruff and threw him toward his kennel. He said the dog had bitten him. The couple urged Brown to calm down. The dog ran from Brown, who caught him by the tail and carried him, upside down, to the kitchen. The couple and their daughter followed, begging Brown to stop, court papers said. He punched Romeo and then threw him into a wall. The dog slid down into a garbage can, where he sat dazed, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Janice Albert wrote.
The couple left, concerned for their child. The man later returned to make sure Romeo was OK. The Cockapoo was dead, and Brown told the man he had killed Romeo. Brown reportedly told the man that he hates dogs in the house.
Brown lied about what happened when his then-girlfriend arrived from work. The next day he admitted that he’d thrown the dog against a wall. She immediately left the apartment, breaking off the relationship. She reported the dog’s death to police.
She and the dinner guests have since obtained restraining orders against Brown.
Brown later spoke with officers, claiming he was defending himself against the animal. In charging papers, prosecutors noted that Brown outweighed the dog by 180 pounds.
“If there is a case that warrants a 12-month sentence, this is the case,” Albert said Thursday.
Romeo’s owner said Thursday that she had never seen any signs that Brown was violent, but she can’t help feel guilty about leaving Romeo with him.
“I will always feel like I let him down,” the woman said.
She also is fearful that Brown will come after her.
“If he is capable of beating a dog to death for begging, then what is he willing to do to the woman who went to police?” she said.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley.
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