Prosecutors: Maple Shade Man Known As 'Wild Willie' Arrested For Fatally Shooting Neighbor's Poodle In Head
MAPLE SHADE, N.J. (CBS) -- A man known as "Wild Willie" is behind bars after being accused of fatally shooting his neighbor's dog. Now, Toby the poodle's family is trying to find closure with an arrest.
At first, Toby's family thought it may have been an accident. Maybe it was some kids who had made a mistake, but they have since learned the alleged shooter is an adult man they knew in passing.
Toby was a seven-pound poodle Pomeranian mix. He was a senior dog who lived with Amber Cook at her grandparents' Maple Shade home for 10 years.
"It's a small town, my pop pop would take him on his walks every day," Cook said.
Last Tuesday though, Toby got out and was found by neighbors howling in pain. Police were contacted after Toby's veterinarian found he had been shot in the head with an air rifle.
Toby had to be euthanized the following day.
"I came home from work that day and just broke down crying because it made more real knowing someone intentionally went out to harm him," Cook said.
Maple Shade police have now charged 64-year-old William Stroemel with the crime. It turns out Stroemel is a neighbor and lived just around the corner from Toby's family.
Cook said that her grandparents barely knew the man others called "Wild Willie," but her grandfather did encounter him in passing while walking Toby.
"He said the guy made a couple comments a couple of times like, 'Oh, he's going to get hit one day' or 'something's going to happen to him one day' but they didn't really talk," Cook said.
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Police zeroed in on Stroemel when they were tipped off that he had passed off the air rifle to someone else after the shooting.
"He's destroyed our family. Hearing the fact that he tried to hide the weapon, he feels no remorse," Cook said.
Cook says that Toby did get out sometimes, but police do not believe that the dog had crossed onto Stroemel's property the day he was shot.
"At least he can't do this to anyone else," Cook said.
Along with animal cruelty, the suspect is facing five other weapon charges.
