A Lohman man pleaded guilty to an amended charge in connection with an animal abuse case from October 2020.
During a hearing before Cole County Associate Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh, Austin Bequette, 31, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor peace disturbance for firing a weapon on the premises of a residence. A charge of misdemeanor animal abuse was dismissed by prosecutors.
He was placed on one year of unsupervised probation and must also continue to attend counseling. If Bequette fails to meet conditions of his probation, he faces up to six months in the county jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000.
Deputies had been called to the 1800 block of Lohman Road previously because Bequette had threatened to hurt the property owner's dogs, according to a Cole County Sheriff's Department probable cause statement.
Video surveillance showed Bequette digging a hole in the front yard, carrying a disabled or dead dog out of the house, and placing it in the hole he had dug. The video then showed Bequette firing six pistol shots into the dog.
While in the home, authorities found numerous alcoholic beverages throughout the residence.