Man accused of killing chihuahua indicted for cruelty

An Arcanum man accused of killing a chihuahua during a domestic dispute was indicted Friday on charges of aggravated menacing, tampering with evidence, and cruelty to companion animals.

According to the prosecutor’s office, Matthew A. Rutherford, 26, had only been out of prison for three weeks in February when he got into a fight with a woman at a house on South Boulevard in Kettering.

During the fight, he punched and kicked her dog. The dog died and he disposed of the body, leading to the tampering with evidence charge.

Rutherford was previously convicted in Montgomery County of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and felonious assault. He was sentenced to three years in prison and was released Jan. 15.

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