LOWELL, Mass. – A Lawrence woman faced arraignment in Lowell District Court on Tuesday on two counts of animal cruelty. The incident, which occurred on the morning of Dec. 29 at 127-133 Westford St., was captured on security cameras.
Kimberly Hernandez, 30, pleaded not guilty before Judge John Coffey on Jan. 2 for allegedly hitting, kicking, and throwing a Yorkie dog named Rex. She was released on $5,000 cash or surety bail and ordered to surrender any other pets she owns, as well as have no unsupervised contact with any animals.
The Lowell Police Criminal Investigations Bureau launched an investigation on Dec. 30 based on a call from the Westford Street property manager. Security footage from a previous car accident revealed the woman approaching the cowering dog and violently attacking it.
According to the arrest report, Detective Andrew Sepe described the footage from one of the three security videos of the alleged 2 a.m. incident obtained by the police. The report stated that the female struck the dog with her right foot, lifting the dog up into the air and into the side of the building.
A third video from that morning showed the woman removing the dog by the neck from the back of a parked car, “with its body hanging,” the report stated.
Hernandez is scheduled to return to Lowell District Court for a pretrial hearing on Feb. 9. Each count of animal cruelty carries a penalty of up to seven years in state prison; or up to two and a half years in the House of Correction; or a fine of up to $5,000; or both fine and imprisonment.