Witnesses Intervene as Man Beats Dog; Suspect Gets 10 Months Jail

After admitting to beating a dog in public late last year, a 56-year-old man from Lubbock was given a 10-month jail term.

Michael Aytes went to court on Tuesday through a videoconference from the Lubbock County Detention Center, where he has been held since November 30, when he was arrested. He admitted to trying to hurt non-livestock animals cruelly, which is a state jail criminal charge. The possible sentence is six months to two years.

Aytes was first charged with a third-degree felony, which is a more serious crime, but he agreed to a lower charge.

The Lubbock police arrested him after receiving a report of animal abuse near the corner of 19th Street and Iola Avenue. A woman who saw the alleged abuse told police that Aytes pulled a medium-sized brown dog by its leash, then pinned the dog to the ground, and punched it several times.

Aytes then followed the woman into a nearby parking lot after she saved the dog from him. The arrest document says that other people nearby stepped in to help.

Responding police talked to two more witnesses who confirmed what the woman said. Officers saw that the dog's front right leg was cut and that Aytes' fingers had blood on them.

The dog that was hurt was given to Lubbock Animal Services. The government has not said anything else about its health.

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