Today the St. Joseph Co. Prosecutor's offfice in South Bend announced charges against an 18-year-old in an alleged case of animal torture and killing.
The prosecutor's release is below.
St. Joseph County –Today the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office charged Jeremy
Nathaniel Lindsey, 18, in a three count information. He is charged with:
Count I: Killing a Domestic Animal a Level 6 Felony
Count II: Torturing or Mutilating a a Vertebrate Animal Level 6 Felony
Count III: Cruelty to an Animal a Class A Misdemeanor
Probable cause was found. He was ordered held until his initial bail hearing, and remains
in the custody of the St. Joseph County Jail. His initial bail hearing and arraignment are
scheduled for Monday, February 3rd at 1:00 p.m. (Traffic & Misdemeanor Courtroom,
1855 Courthouse, 112 S. Lafayette Blvd, South Bend).
The sentencing range for a Level 6 Felony is 1⁄2 to 2 1⁄2 years. The sentencing range for a
Class A Misdemeanor is up to 1 year.
Here is additional information in the charging documents that were released by the prosecutor's office today:
According to the reports, on January 29th, 2020, officers with the South Bend Police Department were dispatched to the home of Justin Duis. When they arrived, they spoke with Mr. Duis. He advised that his son's name is Jeremy Lindsey. He also stated that he had a 3 week old puppy by the name of Cammie.
In addition, Mr. Duis stated that his son needed to be "out" (of the home), because he believed that Jeremy Lindsey had killed Cammie by putting the puppy in a clothes dryer, causing the dog to be severely injured and killed. Mr.
Duis stated that his wife was the person who found the dead puppy and saw blood in the dryer.
Officers then spoke with the wife of Mr. Duis, Danielle Chubb. Ms. Chubb stated that she had picked up Jeremy Lindsey from school earlier that day, because he was not feeling well. After picking him up, Ms. Chubb stated that she dropped him off at home. She further stated that Jeremy Lindsey was thereafter home
alone.
Ms. Chubb then told the officers that later in the day, she returned home with the rest of her children.
When she did so, she came upon Jeremy Lindsey who advised her that "Cammie is dead".
Ms. Chubb stated that Jeremy Lindsey took her where the puppy was laying on the couch. Ms. Chubb stated that the incident was "very weird" and that the puppy looked out of place on the couch. She further advised that the puppy was all scraped up as if it had been hit by a car.
Ms. Chubb stated that they buried the puppy in the yard, and that later in the day, she went downstairs in the basement to do laundry. When she opened the dryer, she discovered the dryer was full of blood and hair, and became distraught. She then told her husband, and they thereafter called the police.
Officers then looked inside the dryer, and noted that it was covered with red stains consistent with blood.
Officers spoke with Jeremy Lindsey, who admitted killing the puppy.
Specifically, Jeremy Lindsey stated that he put the puppy into the dryer and turned it on because "Cammie" was being mean to the house cat.
DETENTION CONSIDERATIONS
The State is requesting that Jeremy Lindsey be detained until bail hearing and a mental assessment can be conducted. Given the nature and circumstances of this crime, the State has a concern of the safety of the community, as well as the safety of Jeremy Lindsey.
