10 months in prison for animal cruelty charge

SANDUSKY — A Milan Township man accused of killing a puppy was recently sentenced to prison. Jimmy R. Wiggins, Jr., 47, of the 2600 block of Alpine Trail, pleaded guilty to one fifth-degree felony count of cruelty to companion animals. In exchange for his plea, the state dropped one third-degree felony count of tampering with evidence. Erie County Common Pleas Court Judge Roger Binette sentenced Wiggins to serve 10 months in prison. He was given more than three months of jail credit for time served before sentencing. What happened? After 11 p.m. on May 5, deputies were called to a home in the 2600 block of Alpine Trail in Milan Township for the report that a man had allegedly killed puppies. The dispatcher also heard screaming during the call. Deputies arrived, announced themselves and entered the home. They encountered Wiggins' girlfriend, Gretchen L. Simmons, 43, who allegedly obstructed their attempts to locate Wiggins. A girl from the home told deputies that she heard Wiggins threaten to choke the dog then heard it cry out, followed by an "impact," the report states. She entered the bathroom where the dog was and found it motionless, not breathing and with blood on and near it. Deputies did not find the puppy, but were able to locate a bloody hammer. "The killing of the dog is sickening behavior," Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth said. Wiggins was later found suffering from hypothermia in the Huron River. He was arrested and taken to a Norwalk hospital by ambulance. Simmons was indicted in June with one felony count of obstructing justice. Her case is ongoing. The dead puppy was named Hank, according to Sigsworth. Hank's littermate, Mud, was turned over to the custody of a responsible adult, Sigsworth said.