Veteran and Soldier Accused of Tying Therapy Dog to Tree, Shooting It 5 Times and Filming It
An Army veteran and a soldier are accused of tying up a therapy dog and killing it execution style.
Marinna Rollins, 23, and Jarren Heng, 25, are accused of shooting Rollins’ dog, Cam, multiple times with a rifle, The Fayetteville Observer reports. Authorities say they laughed as they filmed the incident.
“They can be heard on the tape laughing and giggling as the dog was being killed,” Cumberland County District Attorney Clark Reaves said at the couple’s first court appearance on Tuesday. “It was a therapy dog.”
They have each been charged with cruelty to animals and conspiracy, the Observer reports.
Heng, a soldier at Fort Bragg, was arrested Monday evening and Rollins, an Army veteran, was arrested Tuesday afternoon. Bail for Heng was originally set at $5,000 and at $10,000 for Rollins, according to the Observer. Their bails were increased to $25,000 each.
According to a police report, Rollins and Heng took Cam, a male pit bull, to a wooded area on April 16 or 17, ABC 11 reports. Rollins tied up Cam to a tree and then shot the dog five times. Heng could be heard in a video asking Rollins to let him shoot the animal, as well.
Friends of Rollins told CBS North Carolina that she adopted Cam to help her with her PTSD.
The local news station reported that the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office had video evidence that will be used in trial.
A woman’s voice can be heard talking to the therapy dog in the video, according to CBS North Carolina.
“It’s been real, Cammy, I love you. You’re my puppy. You’re a good puppy,” the woman says.
In another clip, the woman walks over to the dead dog, picks him up and covers him with a sheet, saying, “I love you, you’re a good dog.”
This article was originally published on PEOPLE.com
