There was an animal involved in this incident, but it wasn't Justice!

 

I was looking through some old newspapers and came across the story that last year broke everyone's heart -- everyone, that is, except the idiot who perpetrated the crime and his family.

 

Darius Ewing set a little Lab-terrier mixed breed puppy on fire just for the heck of it. The poor little thing, named Justice by his rescuers, died of third-degree burns over 70% of its body a few days later. Darius had poured lighter fluid all over the dog, then he and his criminal homies threw lighted cigarettes on it.

 

In arguing for a reduction of Darius's bail, one of the usual bullhorn-everybody's-a-racist protestors, Rebecca Williams, said, "Since when did a dog become more important than a boy's life?" Is she really serious? At 4 months old, that little puppy wanted nothing but a warm place to sleep, some food for his little belly, and a loving master. Instead, he had the misfortune to run into a monster. Darius is not a "boy" (and if I called him a boy I'd be called a racist, but they use that term when it's to their advantage); he's an 18-year-old man.

 

And Darius is certainly no saint. He is a high school dropout, a runaway, and a gang member. His Facebook page says he's a "pharmacist." It shows weapons, piles of money, and what appears to be illegal drugs. As a 14-year-old, he was placed on six months juvenile probation for assault. That turned in to four years because he couldn't stay out of trouble. His mama says her little angel didn't do it. If he didn't, why on earth did he go turn himself in for it? Darius's trial comes up in August. Let's hope he gets the maximum sentence of ten years. If he doesn't, it may be a human being he decides to set on fire next time.

 

"Bail cut for suspect in dog's death." The Dallas Morning News; May 19, 2012; p. 5B.