PASADENA - In day five of his trial, a 42-year-old Pasadena man pleaded no contest last week to beating a muzzled 16-month-old German shepherd to death with a hammer then removing the dog's body from the owner's yard.Deputy District Attorney Alison Matsumoto said Young Song entered his plea over the prosecution's objection after a videotape of the brutal beating was shown to jurors. He pleaded to one felony count of cruelty to an animal and one misdemeanor count of petty theft of a dog with a special allegation of personal use of a deadly weapon, a hammer. His open plea was not part of a negotiated settlement. Pasadena Superior Court Judge Darrell Mavis immediately sentenced Song to three years formal probation, 365 days in county jail and ordered him not to possess or care for any animal for 10 years. Song was allowed to surrender to the court on Nov. 2 to begin serving his jail sentence. He also was ordered to pay $75 in restitution to the dog's owner. Song was charged with entering his neighbor's yard on April 20, 2011, and shooting the dog with a pellet gun. He left but returned to the owner's yard a short time later and beat the dog to death with a hammer. Song removed the dog's body from the owner's yard. The dog was never found.

********** Published: October 11, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 26