Jamestown woman accused of killing dog, causing damage
May 11—A Jamestown woman is charged by police with killing her boyfriend's dog with her minivan plus damaging a riding lawn mower and storage shed doors at the man's home reportedly because he didn't tell the woman he arrived home Friday.
Tonya L. Seaborn, 47, of 1 Gibson St., is accused by Pennsylvania State Police of two felony counts of cruelty to animals plus misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and illegally operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock device, and summary counts of careless driving and reckless driving.
The alleged incident took place between 9:30 and 9:40 p.m. at the man's South Shenango Township home on Fitch Road with Seaborn using her Dodge minivan to cause damage, police said.
The man told police "Seaborn was upset with him because he did not tell her that he arrived home early on 05/07/21 (Friday)," the affidavit filed by Trooper Tory Nocera said.
When police arrived at the home around 10:20 p.m. there was a damaged riding mower "with tire tracks leading to and from the mower," the affidavit said. "I observed crushed wooden shed/garage doors with tire tracks leading to and from the shed/garage," the trooper continued. "I observed a deceased dog in the front yard. I observed tire marks and dog hair which led west on Fitch Road."
Other troopers located Seaborn's van near her Jamestown home later that night and found it with orange paint on the front bumper, the affidavit said. The paint is "consistent with the color of the lawnmower and garage/shed doors that Seaborn ran into with the van," the affidavit said.
Aggravated cruelty to animals causing serious bodily injury or death and aggravated cruelty to animals torture are third-degree felonies, each with up to seven years in jail and a $15,000 fine, if convicted.
The criminal mischief charge is a second-degree misdemeanor with up to two years in jail and a $5,000 fine, if convicted. The disorderly conduct count is a third-degree misdemeanor with up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine, if convicted. Illegally operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock device is an ungraded misdemeanor with up to 90 days in jail and a $300 to $1,000 fine.
The summary count of reckless driving has a penalty of up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine while careless driving has a penalty of 90 days in jail and a $300 fine, if convicted.
Seaborn was arraigned on all charges Monday before Magisterial District Judge Rita Marwood of Linesville. She was released on $10,000 unsecured bond. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled May 24.
Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.
