Latest News
July 23, 2019

Man leaving bar in Finleyville accused of abusing dog, DUI

By Mon Valley Independent

By PAUL PEIRCE

A Jefferson Hills man was arrested in Washington County on Friday after witnesses reported they saw him retrieve a cocker spaniel that jumped out of his pickup by grabbing its neck and “throwing it back into the bed” of the truck at a gas station.

Robert P. Kelley Jr., 39, was charged by Monongahela police with animal cruelty, driving under the influence, careless driving, disorderly conduct and multiple traffic citations following the 11:30 p.m. incident that occurred at a Sunoco station near Bob’s By the Tracks Bar along Route 88 in Finleyville, according to court documents. The complaints were filed Monday before McMurray District Judge Jesse Pettit.

Kelley was driven to the Peters Township Police Department for a breath test, which registered 0.214% — or nearly triple the legal level in Pennsylvania, according to court documents.

Officer Zlatan Avdic reported that police received complaints of a truck driving erratically after leaving the bar and as they approached saw the truck pull out of the gas station on to Washington Avenue without signaling. Avdic reported that the truck was swerving and he could see “the dog in the bed of the truck getting tossed from side to side.”

To read the rest of this story, please see a copy of Wednesday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at https://e.monvalleyindependent.com.

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