Man Who Threw Puppy From Car Pleads Guilty, Gets $100 Fine

Sergiu Muresan pleaded guilty in DuPage County Circuit Court Tuesday to misdemeanor animal cruelty, after allegedly throwing a puppy onto a busy highway in the Chicago suburbs.

On December 10 of last year, Muresan was stopped in traffic on North Avenue at the intersection of Route 83 in Elmhurst, when a witness saw him throw a 45-pound mixed-breed puppy out of his car window and into the busy road. The witness took down his license plate number, and the dog, Bentley, was recovered from the highway, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The dog belonged to his neighbor, Guillermo Roman, and apparently slipped through his fence, the Chicago Tribune reports. Owner and dog have since been reunited.

Muresan could have received a sentence of up to $2,500 and one year in jail for the animal cruelty charge. But after offering no explanation for his crime, Muresan received a much lighter sentence from DuPage County Judge Brian Diamond. He was charged a $100 fine, and one year of court supervision, as NBC Chicago reports.

He is also barred from owning a pet for one year.