Kids screamed as their mom’s boyfriend beat their puppy to death with hammer, deputies say

MILAN TOWNSHIP, Ohio. (WOIO/Gray News) – A woman’s children heard her boyfriend allegedly beat a puppy to death at their home in Ohio, according to authorities.

Erie County deputies responded to a 911 call after receiving reports of a man killing a puppy, triggering an “onslaught of screaming from family members as a result.”

When deputies arrived, they discovered an “extremely distraught” girl outside of the home, and she told them that her mom’s live-in boyfriend, 45-year-old Jimmy Wiggins Jr., had killed their puppy and fled.

Additional deputies arrived on the scene.

They allegedly said the home was in complete disarray, smelled strongly of animal feces/urine and was basically “uninhabitable due to the deplorable conditions.”

As authorities spoke with the girl, along with a second child, they told deputies that Wiggins threatened to choke the puppy, identified as Hank.

One of the children said they heard Hank screaming like a puppy would scream, followed by the sound of impact.

The children said they saw their dog, identified as Hank, dead inside the bathroom, but the puppy’s body was gone by the time deputies arrived.

Wiggins was also gone, allegedly leaving behind just a bloody hammer and a bottle of peroxide, which the kids said he used to wash his hands.

While searching the surrounding area for Wiggins, deputies found footprints, which they followed to the river behind the home. That’s when they heard sticks breaking and a splash.

With the help of additional first responders and a drone, deputies found Wiggins, partially submerged in the water and holding on to a tree branch.

He was taken into custody, along with the children’s mother, 42-year-old Gretchen Howard, who, just hours earlier, was allegedly found in possession of a crystallized substance during a traffic stop.

Wiggins and Howard were both booked into jail on May 7, and their bonds were set at $50,000 and $20,000.

Wiggins was charged with two counts of endangering children, and one count each of tampering with evidence, cruelty to animals and obstructing official business.

Howard also faces two charges of endangering children and one count of obstructing official business.

They are both set to appear in court later this month, Howard on May 12 and Wiggins on May 16.

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