EDWARDSVILLE — State's Attorney Tom Gibbons filed Aggravated Animal Cruelty charges against two individuals from Granite City for failing to provide adequate food for their dog.
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John T. Haynes Jr. (d.o.b. 2/24/81) and Jonyce L. Lockett (d.o.b. 8/2/80) have each been charged with one count Aggravated Animal Cruelty, class 4, after an apparently malnourished, deceased dog was discovered at their residence on Emert Avenue in Granite City.
On April 4, 2018, Granite City Animal Control received an anonymous report of a starved and neglected dog at a residence on Emert Avenue. Officers with the Granite City Police Department responded to the residence, where the dog was located and pronounced deceased. An autopsy performed at the Animal Care Center determined the cause of death was starvation, after locating pieces of chewed plastic from a doghouse, and no traces of food, in the dog’s stomach.
“We must always fight to protect animals from abuse by holding abusers accountable through aggressive investigation and prosecution,” said State’s Attorney Gibbons. “I am grateful to the Granite City Police Department for their excellent work on this investigation, which will allow us to get justice for the loss of this innocent life.”
Lockett and Haynes’ bonds have both been set at $50,000 by Circuit Judge Richard Tognarelli. If convicted, maximum penalty for a Class 4 felony is 1-3 years in prison.
These charges, as well as the statements made herein, are based upon probable cause. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
