May 12--A Los Angeles judge sentenced a 35-year-old man Tuesday to one year in jail for beating his poodle to death.
Jason Arnold Vaca pleaded no contest March 19 to one count of animal cruelty for the 2014 killing of his dog, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.
As part of his punishment, Vaca must attend anger management and animal cruelty classes, and he will be placed on four years probation, prosecutors said.
Vaca was arrested March 18, 2014, after police found his dead poodle, Butter, in the backyard of his Baldwin Park home, police said.
Earlier that morning, police received a 911 call reporting sounds of a dog being struck and of a man yelling, prosecutors said.
Officers arrived at the home and spotted Vaca outside with blood on his clothes and wounds on his hands, police said.
Officers also found blood splattered across the fence, a trash can and a front wall of Vaca's house, police said.
Because of the animal cruelty conviction, Vaca is prohibited from owning, possessing, caring for or living with an animal for 10 years.
UPDATE
3:45 p.m.: This story was updated with information that the defendant entered his plea on March 19.
This story was originally published at 3:27 p.m.
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