A 60-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison after admitting to shooting his neighbor's dog more than a year ago.
Charles Lorenz Jr. pleaded guilty to a count of cruelty to non-livestock animals a third-degree felony that carries a punishment of two to 10 years in prison.
Lorenz entered his plea by video conference from the Lubbock County Detention Center, where he has been held since March 18, 2025.
His charge stems from a Nov. 12, 2024, Lubbock County Sheriff's Office investigation after a deputy was dispatched to a home in the 2300 block of County Road 7650 where he met with Lorenz who said he shot his neighbor's dog because the animal was running loose and being aggressive, according to a probable cause affidavit filed with his arrest
warrant.
The deputy met with the dog's owner who said Lorenz shot her dog while it was in its enclosure.
The deputy found the dog's body, a pool of blood and a bullet shell casing inside the enclosure, the warrant states.
Meanwhile, Lorenz told the deputy he called a friend to take his gun, which he was not allowed to possess because of a prior felony conviction.
Lorenz was arrested that day and booked into the Lubbock County jail on counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals, possession of a firearm by a felon and tampering with evidence. All three charges are third-degree felonies.
As part of his plea deal with the Lubbock County District Attorney's Office, the remaining two charges were dismissed.
Jail records show he was released on bond set at $7,500 the next day.
However, his bond was surrendered after he was arrested in March 2025 for being a felon in possession of a firearm and was indicted a month later on four counts of the offense. Those charges were also dismissed as part of his plea, according to court records.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock man gets six years in prison for shooting neighbor's dog
