AG Balderas Announces Felony Conviction of Albuquerque Man Who Shot Neighbor’s Dog with a Pellet Gun

For Immediate Release:
October 4, 2022
Contact: Jerri Mares – (505) 321-4372

ALBUQUERQUE — Today, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced the felony conviction of David Wiegand. In June 2020, Wiegand was captured on his neighbors’ backyard surveillance camera firing a pellet gun at Rocket, his neighbors’ four-year-old black, white, and brown male doberman pinscher and heeler mix. Rocket’s cries caused the neighbors to take him to the veterinarian, where doctors discovered other pellets lodged in Rocket’s skin. After enduring the incident, Rocket was nervous around new people, particularly those who resembled Wiegand.

“We must all work together to stop animal cruelty in our society, as this is part of a broader public safety effort to reduce family violence in New Mexico,” said Attorney General Balderas.

Wiegand will be sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation and must make full restitution to his neighbors for the harm he caused to Rocket. He must also submit to any counseling or treatment recommended by his supervising probation officer, to include anger-management and anti-animal-abuse courses. Wiegand will be formally sentenced in approximately four weeks.

The case was investigated by the Office of the Attorney General in collaboration with Sgt. Erin McKay of the City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Collin Brennan and Zach Jones.

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