PD: Bend man assaulted wife, fatally threw puppy
A 23-year-old Bend man was arrested Monday night on charges he punched and kicked his wife in the head at a transient camp, then took her 6-week-old puppy from her and threw it against a nearby electrical box, causing fatal injuries, police said.
Bret Vincent Barton Jr. was arrested and taken to at the Deschutes County Jail, where he remained held on $25,000 bail late Tuesday on charges of first-degree animal abuse and fourth-degree assault (domestic violence).
Around 9:48 p.m. Monday, police responded to a report of a domestic dispute at a transient camp on the north end of Bend, said Officer Rob Pennock.
An investigation determined that Michelle Binder, 22, and Barton, her husband, were walking along the railroad tracks near butler market Road when he became upset with her, Pennock said.
Barton then allegedly assaulted Binder, punching and kicking her in the head. Pennock said she had injuries to her face but was not taken to the hospital.
During the assault, Binder was holding her 6-week-old pit bull mix puppy, Pennock said. After the assault, Barton allegedly took the puppy from her and threw it against a nearby metal object, the officer said.
Officers checked the area and found the puppy’s body near a metal electrical box, Pennock said. They took it to a veterinary clinic, where an X-ray found it had a fractured skull.
