Rochester man indicted on charges he fatally shot ex-girlfriend's dog in head

Robert Fields (Rochester Police photo)

ROCHESTER - A Rochester man has been accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend's dog in the head when she came to his residence to pick up her belongings following their breakup in December.
Robert Fields, 63, with a last know address of 140 Gear Road, was indicted on March 20 in the Dec. 29 shooting that resulted in the dog having to be euthanized.
Fields was arrested after his ex-girlfriend reported to Rochester Police that Fields had assaulted her repeatedly when she arrived at his residence to pick up her belongings.
According to a Rochester Police affidavit, when the woman arrived at his house, he jerked her out of her vehicle and began yelling at her, than pushed her to the ground and began pummeling and kicking her.
"He then took her into the residence and made her sit down on a chair and refused to let her leave," the affidavit states.
Fields then took her outside again, grabbed her dog out of her car, brought it inside and put it in a crate.
The dog then started barking, which annoyed Fields

"Robert was 'freaking out' and getting upset because the dog was barking," the victim said, according to the affidavit.
She told police that he then briefly left the room, returned with a pistol and shot the dog inside the crate. He then carried the dog outside and during the commotion the victim said she was able to get our of the house, get to her car and drive away.
Fields was charged with six counts of domestic assault and threatening, as well as two felonies for allegations that he falsified physical evidence for cleaning up the blood and cruelty to animals for shooting the dog.
A short time after the incident police received a call for a mixed pit-bull in the area running around with blood on it. The dog was picked up but had to be euthanized.
Fields was indicted on charges of cruelty to animals and falsifying physical evidence, which carry a maximum sentence of up to seven years apiece.
He remains held on no bail at Strafford County Jail.
An indictment is not an indication of guilt, rather than enough evidence has been gathered to move forward to trial.