Prosecutor: Man kicked, killed mother's Chihuahua in fit of rage

TACOMA -- A man arrested for allegedly killing his mom's Chihuahua following a fight with his girlfriend told police he didn't mean to do it, and that his anger takes over too easily, court documents show.

Nicholas Tresness, 32, is charged with first-degree animal cruelty and third-degree malicious mischief in Pierce County Court.

According to the Tacoma Police Department, officers received a call of a domestic violence dispute around 6:15 p.m. Friday at a Tacoma home. When officers arrived on scene, they found a woman holding a lifeless Chihuahua.  The woman told police her son, who lived at her home, got in an argument over the phone with his girlfriend.

When the argument was over, Tresness walked into the living room in a "rage," the mother said, and kicked over a high chair and broke a coffee cup. He then went downstairs and the woman heard the suspect scream "get away from me!" police said. She then heard a loud, dull thud.

She ran downstairs and saw the lifeless body of her Chihuahua, Duke, lying against the wall. The woman picked up Duke's body and called 911, documents show.

Police contacted Tresness in his mother's driveway. He put his hands behind his back and allegedly told police, " I don't know... I have an anger problem. It just takes over. There's nothing I can do." When police asked about the dog, he allegedly said Duke had come at him and he used his foot to "push" the dog away.

Police told Tresness the dog was dead, court documents show, and he allegedly said, "I didn't mean to do that. It's my anger problem. I didn't mean to kill him."

Three young children were at the home during Tresness' alleged outburst, police said.

Tresness was arrested. A request for autopsy of Duke's body has been made with animal control.