TRENTON, N.J. — A woman has been arrested on charges she used a shovel and claw hammer to fatally beat her family’s dog, then bragged about it, authorities said.
Mercer County prosecutors say 19-year-old Hightstown resident Michelle Wankoff faces several counts, including animal cruelty and tampering with evidence.
The charges stem from an investigation that began when Hightstown police got a tip that Wankoff had bragged about killing and burying the 9-year-old mixed breed dog.
Authorities say Wankoff tried to poison the dog with various medications late last month. When that failed, they say, she repeatedly hit the dog on the head with a shovel and claw hammer until it died.