Prosecutors drop animal cruelty charges against Erie man in police chase with dogs in tow
An Erie man accused of leading police on a high-speed pursuit in March with five dogs in tow is no longer facing animal cruelty charges as the criminal case against him advances in court.
Ibraheim S. Al-Mansouri, 22, waived to court the lead charge filed against him, a third-degree felony count of fleeing police, at his preliminary hearing on Friday afternoon. Twelve other misdemeanor and summary charges that Erie police filed against him, including five second-degree misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals, were withdrawn by prosecutors, according to court records.
More: Erie man faces animal cruelty counts after police said he fled stop with dogs in truck
Erie police charged Al-Mansouri on March 5 following a pursuit they said started that morning in the area of East 26th Street and McClelland Avenue in the city. Officers wrote in Al-Mansouri's criminal complaint that they attempted to stop him, as he was known to be wanted on warrants in three other criminal cases.
Investigators said Al-Mansouri fled from the attempted traffic stop and led officers on a high-speed pursuit that ended in the 1900 block of Buffalo Road. There were five dogs in the truck Al-Mansouri was driving, including four which police said were tied up with short ropes in the truck's bed, according to investigators.
Authorities said the dogs were not injured in the incident.
Al-Mansouri also waived to court on Friday lesser charges in two of the criminal cases he was wanted on at the time of the pursuit, according to court records. He awaits his preliminary hearing on charges in the third case.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: DA drops animal cruelty charges against Erie PA man in police chase
