El Pasoan charged with firing gun on highway now accused of leaving dog outside to die in 103-degree heat
EL PASO, Texas -- A 26-year-old El Paso man now jailed on animal cruelty charges, allegedly leaving his dog outside in sweltering temperatures to die, had been awaiting trial on weapons charges stemming from a viral video.
The El Paso District Attorney's Office confirmed that Jonathan Jay Oneal, who was being held Thursday in the downtown jail on $7,500 bond, is the same man arrested last December for allegedly firing a semi-automatic firearm out of a moving car. The incident was captured on a video that was circulated on social media by the group Fit Fam EP.
Oneal had been free on a personal recognizance bond at the time of his latest arrest, court records showed. His most recent court appearance was cancelled, presumably due to coronavirus concerns.
Investigators said they recently found Oneal's 5–year-old Husky named Leo dead and decomposing on an apartment balcony at 9455 Viscount Blvd.
A police incident report stated "Leo was found in a state of decomposition in deplorable conditions. Recent recorded temperatures had been as high as 103 degrees. Leo had no access to food or water and the apartment balcony was covered in feces."
Oneal denied to officers that it was his dog, however Leo had been microchipped - and police said that chip identified Oneal as the owner.
Aside from the new allegations, Oneal still faces a charge of illegally discharging a firearm within the city limits for a 20-second video clip that allegedly shows him firing about seven rounds into the sky as cars pass by in the opposite direction.
The incident is said to have taken place Dec. 20 of last year along the Patriot Highway near Spur 601. The highway cuts through Fort Bliss, where Oneal was a soldier at the time. It was not immediately known Thursday if he's still in the Army.
