Firecracker Dog Killer Freed From Prison

A heartless dog killer who also fired a gun at a man while he was free on bond was released from prison Friday.

Nicholas Garcia, 25, served nearly a year and seven months for the reckless discharge of a firearm and criminal damage to property. The “property” was a neighbor’s pet pit bull that picked up Garcia’s lit firecracker with its mouth three days after the Fourth of July in 2015. The firecracker exploded in the dog’s mouth, blowing its face off.

The dog was killed to put it out of its misery.

Garcia and another man had been lighting off the fireworks in Jackson Street alley. Garcia intentionally tossed the fireworks so the dog would chase them and pick them up, police said.

The pit bull’s owner reportedly witnessed his dog’s death.

Not long after the incident, an unrepentant Garcia took to social media to scoff at a dog’s death.

“Lightin off the rest of my fireworks n the rerarded neighbors that dont know how to put their dog on leash or keep it fenced in decides to chase a boom stick and lost its head…..NOW they care about their dog,” Garcia said in a Facebook post.

Garcia’s legal troubles were just starting when he tossed the firecracker at the dog and caused its death. In the 35 days after he was taken into custody for destroying the pit bull up until his final arrest of that summer on Aug. 28, Garcia found himself jammed up with the law time and time again.

In those five weeks, Garcia invested $17,500 in bail money to keep himself on the street. He paid $5,000 for his release after he was charged with blowing the face off the pit bull and came up with another $2,500 when his bond was raised due to a subsequent arrest. That case stemmed from a traffic stop during which the police allegedly caught Garcia with even more fireworks and some marijuana.

The day after he shot a gun at someone, Garcia appeared in court and took a mandated drug test. He failed it.

Garcia didn't stick around for his drug test results to come back but was apprehended that afternoon. He was returned to the county jail and posted another $10,000 to get out again.

Garcia's freedom didn't last long as he was back in jail within four days for the shooting. The reckless discharge case carried a $750,000 bond, and that apparently proved too steep for Garcia to cover. He remained in custody at the county jail until he was shipped off to prison.

Garcia also did time in prison as a teenager on drug, weapon and robbery charges.

Garcia still has to do a year of parole.

image via Illinois Department of Corrections