Virginia Barreda, Salem Statesman Journal
A Salem man is being held on $500,000 bail after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend and used a shoelace and coat hanger to choke her dog to death.
Richard Allen Lipps, 50, has been charged with harassment, third-degree criminal mischief, menacing, attempted assault on a police officer, first-degree aggravated animal abuse and third-degree attempted escape.
According to a probable cause statement filed in Marion County court, Lipps’ arrest unfolded this way:
Around 7:30 a.m. Monday, Marion County Sheriff’s deputies were called to an RV in the 4700 block of Portland Road NE on reports of domestic violence.
The woman who owned the RV said she had been dating Lipps for three months. She believed he was high on meth that morning when he became upset with her dog, Andrea.
Andrea had been “defecating and urinating” inside the RV. Lipps started punching and kicking the dog. He took a shoelace, wrapped it around the dog’s neck and then got a white metal coat hanger and bent it around the dog’s neck.
While he was doing this, the woman said, Lipps looked up at her with an “evil smile” and said, “You’re next.”
The woman said once she realized the dog was dead, she feared for her life.
Lipps reportedly grabbed the woman by her hair and dragged her from the rear of the RV to the front near the stairs of the RV’s door.
He punched his girlfriend on the top right side of her head.
She locked herself in the bathroom and called 911. Lipps tried to get in by carving a hole in the door and told her he was going to kill her.
Deputy Christian Dalton arrived at the RV and placed Lipps in handcuffs when Lipps’ brother Ernie Lipps appeared about 30 feet away.
“He has a gun,” Richard Lipps said to Dalton, pointing to his brother.
When Dalton turned away, Richard attempted to bite him and escape.
Richard spit all over the seat and divider while sitting in the back of a fellow officer’s patrol vehicle.
When Dalton attempted to move Lipps to his patrol vehicle Lipps tried to head-butt Dalton.
Dalton found the body of the dog outside the RV near the door. Andrea had blood coming out of her mouth. Dalton found a shoe with a shoelace on it near the dog and the coat hanger the woman said had been used to kill Andrea.
Lipps was taken to the Marion County Jail where he is being held on $500,000 bail. He is ordered to have no contact with the woman and Dalton.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 14 at 8:30 a.m.
Virginia Barreda is the Breaking News Reporter at the Statesman Journal. Contact her at vbarreda@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6657. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.
To view original post click here…