A Lake Wales man is mourning the loss of his dog after a neighbor released five dogs to attack him, per charging documents.
While Polk County man Azard Baksh was walking his pet Bichon Frise along Highland Crest Loop near his home Monday, police said a neighbor with a history of threats released five dogs to attack him.
Two weeks prior, the same neighbor, 71-year-old Jackie Hammack, reportedly threatened to release the dogs and called Baksh a "Muslim terrorist."
This time, he followed through on this threat.
Two of the dogs, described as 60-70 pound mixed-breeds, went after the victim's dog. The dog suffered puncture wounds and was bleeding from several parts of its body. According to police, Hammack's wife called the dogs back inside, but he released them again -- two more times.
Witnesses say Hammack was nude throughout all of this, but he later denied that part of the story to police.
Hammack faces charges including cruelty to animals, aggravated assault and exposure of sexual organs.
When asked in a police interview if he sent the dogs to attack, Hammack replied, "Oh yes, sir. Absolutely. I hate that terrorist prick."
Police confirmed this is not a hate crime, because there's currently no evidence Hammack's alleged actions were based on his comments made before and after the incident. Police said the statute is "very specific" regarding these matters.
The victim disagrees and said he thinks this is hate crime. He said he will be hiring a lawyer.
An emergency veterinary clinic treated the dog's wounds, but sadly, it died early Wednesday morning. Baksh buried her Wednesday morning.
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