Court hearing scheduled in dog killing case

5 years ago

HOULTON, Maine — Two County men who were charged in connection with the killing of a dog last year will appear in court next month.

A dispositional conference will be held in the cases against Kevin G. Cummings, 27, of Houlton, and Brian Vrieze, 27, of Hodgdon, on June 4 in Houlton District Court.

Police charged Cummings with aggravated cruelty to animals and Vrieze with cruelty to animals following an incident on Nov. 26, 2018.

Houlton Police Chief Tim DeLuca said at the time that officers responded at about 8:30 p.m. that day to a disturbance call at an apartment complex at 52 School St., and determined that “the incident involved the abuse and death of a dog.”

Police have not released any additional details about the case or what led up to the dog’s killing.

A dispositional meeting is a courtroom meeting between the prosecutor, defense attorney, and the judge. At the conclusion of the conference, the case may be resolved by plea negotiation or the case may proceed to jury trial.