Man pleads guilty to drowning family dog in Laguna Beach

A 48-year-old man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time already served in jail for drowning a family dog in Laguna Beach, according to court records obtained Wednesday.

Jason Douglas Creager pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony count of cruelty to animals, according to court records. He was sentenced to a year in jail, but he had already served that time.

Creager accepted a plea deal from Orange County Superior Court Judge Derek Johnson, who placed him on one year of informal probation.

Police were called to a “family disturbance” about 8:05 p.m. on April 27, Laguna Beach Police Department Sgt. Cornelius Ashton said. Jason Douglas Creager’s family said he drowned their pet dog, Ashton said.

The dog was 13 years old, blind and nearly unable to walk, Creager’s attorney Cameron Talley said.

“Mr. Creager has no memory of what happened as he was suffering a psychotic episode and found the dog only after he recovered his state of mind,” Talley said.

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