Palafox found guilty after bench trial
Domingo Palafox in Lincoln County District Court on Dec. 23. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
Lincoln County District Judge Matthew Cuffe found a man accused of abusing a pet dog guilty on two counts of tampering with a witness following a Dec. 23 bench trial.
Domingo Palafox, 30, had requested the bench trial after pleading guilty to a single count of aggravated animal assault in November. Palafox initially pleaded not guilty to all three charges upon his arrest last summer.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 1, though it could occur earlier if the pre-sentencing investigation is completed ahead of schedule.
Authorities arrested Palafox months after a badly abused dog turned up at a Troy home in March. The Alaskan malamute, later dubbed “Percy,” was quickly given medical care. First thought to be suffering from frostbite, Percy’s wounds were later deemed burn injuries. Officials soon suspected that the animal was doused in a flammable liquid and lit on fire.
Animal activists in Troy, conducting their own sleuthing, began to close in on Palafox as their main suspect. But without hard evidence, the case remained under investigation. Before long, they had amassed enough money from donors to post a reward for any information leading to the arrest of a culprit.
In June, they held in march in Troy to raise awareness. By then, the reward had grown to $3,650.
Palafox, though, was arrested after an argument with another man in a convenience store that same month. According to court documents, the man and his brother had seen a video capturing the moment when he lit the dog on fire.
After Palafox allegedly threatened to take a hit out on the men if they talked to authorities about the video, the brothers approached law enforcement. Troy police officers arrested Palafox not long after.
As for Percy, who enjoyed a groundswell of support after his story made the rounds on local social media, he found a new home with a little help from Pet Connection Rescue and Sanctuary. He now lives in Canada. Photos of his exploits up north occasionally get reposted to Facebook.