May 20, 2019
The Richmond Police Department has made an arrest in a case of animal cruelty that occurred several months ago in the city when a pit bull was tied to a fence and set on fire. The dog, named Tommie by rescuers, was treated for severe burns, but died five days later.
Jyahshua A.
Hill, 20, of the 1300 block of St. Peter Street was arrested without incident shortly
before 3 p.m. today by the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force.
A booking photo is not yet available.
The incident
sparked widespread outrage. Investigators are crediting an outpouring of
information and assistance from the general public that helped them solve this
crime.
“There are a lot
of people to thank, but I’d like to single out all the citizens who contributed
tips that pointed us in the right direction” said Interim Police Chief
William C. Smith. “That, plus the excellent job done by arson investigators
who did the bulk of the work, major crimes detectives, forensics technicians
and animal control officers who all built a strong case to present to the grand
jury.”
Hill was indicted
by the Multi-jurisdictional Grand Jury on May 8th on one count of felony animal
cruelty.
At approximately
7:05 p.m., February 10, 2019, Richmond Fire Department units were called
to Abner Clay Park, 200 West Clay Street, for a report of a dog being
set on fire. Firefighters located a male pit bull dog with severe burns to his
body. He had been tied to a chain-link fence, doused with a flammable liquid
and set on fire.
Richmond Animal
Care and Control officers transported the dog, who they named Tommie, to the
Cary Street Veterinary Hospital for treatment. With burns over 40 percent of
his body, Tommie rallied briefly, but eventually succumbed to his injuries on
February 15, 2019.
The Commonwealth’s
Attorney’s Office has assigned two attorneys to the case; one has expertise in
arson and the other in animal cruelty prosecutions.
Anyone
with information to share about this case is asked to contact RFD Fire
Investigator Lt. B. Dalrymple at 804 646-5421 or contact Crime Stoppers at
(804) 780-1000 or at www.7801000.com. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for
smartphones may also be used. All Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous.
Jyahshua A. Hill
