A Mt. Carmel man charged with starving a pit bull to death has been sentenced to one year in prison. 28-year-old Thomas Arender pleaded guilty this morning to a Class 4 felony charge of aggravated cruelty.
Under terms of the negotiated plea agreement accepted by Judge William C. Hudson, Arender will be given credit for approximately three weeks already served in the Wabash County Jail. He is currently free on bond and will surrender to authorities at 9am on December 26th.
State’s Attorney Cassandra Goldman said if the case had gone to trial, evidence would have shown Arender left the dog named Zeus at a residence located in the 400 block of West 4th Street on January 6th without a plan for someone to care for him. On February 19th, Arender’s sister went to that location and found Zeus severely malnourished. He was taken to the Wabash County Animal Shelter where treatment efforts failed and Zeus died two days later. A pathology report from the University of Illinois showed that Zeus died from the deprivation of humane care.
While in prison, Arender will undergo substance abuse treatment. He will be on one year of parole after his release.
The Class 4 felony carried a possible sentence of 1 to 3 years or Arender could have been placed on probation. He was scheduled to go on trial January 6th.
