A Massachusetts man who was already facing charges for allegedly beating a puppy is facing additional charges following his arrest on Friday.
John Leger, 32, of Peabody, was arrested Friday by Massachusetts State Police and Peabody police. He was apprehended after leaving a residence on Woodridge Road where police said he had been staying. A loaded .45 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun was also found in the glove compartment of his vehicle.
He had been indicted on Feb. 22 in Essex County Superior Court for three counts of animal cruelty and witness intimidation. The indictments stemmed from his severe physical abuse of a puppy and threats he made to bystanders who tried to intervene to stop him.
According to the Salem News, Leger was seen repeatedly punching the puppy and dragging it from under a truck during an incident last November.
The puppy, a pit bull named Bryson, is now in the custody of the Animal Rescue League of Boston.
Leger now faces new charges of carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, unlawful possession of ammunition, committing a firearm violation while having committed three prior violent or drug crimes and operating a motor vehicle after his license was revoked for being a habitual traffic offender.
He was arraigned on Friday and ordered held without bail pending an upcoming dangerousness hearing.
