Suspect fled deputies, made situation worse by allegedly throwing dog from car window

A man faces animal cruelty charges, among others, for tossing a dog out his vehicle window as he was trying to elude deputies after fleeing a traffic stop, the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The incident began about 9:30 Sunday morning when a deputy attempted to pull over Skyler Gregory, 20, for a minor traffic infraction on Mandel Road near White Pines. Instead, the Arnold resident accelerated away.

He drove at high speed on westbound Highway 4, forcing several motorists off the road, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. About five miles south of White Pines, Gregory turned onto Avery Sheep Ranch Road, and threw the dog from his window as he did so, the news release states.

“The dog was able to scurry off the road,” according to the release. “For public safety concerns, the pursuit was terminated.” The dog was described as similar to a pit bull, sheriff’s Sgt. Greg Stark said, and ran off after hitting the ground.

Deputies and California Highway Patrol officers set up a perimeter and began to search the area. About eight miles west of where Gregory turned onto Avery Sheep Ranch Road, his vehicle was found down a wooded ravine near the 3000 block of San Domingo Road in the Murphys area.

About 1 p.m., Gregory was found by CHP officers on San Domingo Road. He was taken into custody and booked into the Calaveras County Jail.

A search of his vehicle turned up what is suspected to be methamphetamine, a glass smoking pipe and items used to siphon gasoline. Gregory later admitted to siphoning gasoline in the Arnold area, according to the news release. His motive for tossing the dog is unclear, Stark said.

Gregory faces charges of felony evasion of a peace officer, reckless driving, cruelty to an animal, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a license. He also was wanted on a Calaveras County warrant for failure to appear in court on other vehicular charges.

Gregory’s bail was set at more than $75,000.

This story was originally published June 3, 2019 at 3:25 PM.