By Leslie Golden | lgolden@alextimes.com

On Feb. 6 a resident in the Del Ray neighborhood contacted police and the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria after witnessing a neighbor toss a suspicious substance into their yard.

“Our officer arrived and collected enough evidence to open a potential poisoning investigation. With the help of a security camera video, our animal services officer identified a suspect and an arrest warrant was issued. The suspect turned himself into police on Feb. 20 without incident and is now pending trial on a misdemeanor charge,” Tony Rankin, chief of animal services for the AWLA, said.

According to Rankin, pieces of meat, possibly tainted with a potential toxin, have been sent to the state animal health lab for further testing. Rankin added, “The pets were not home at the time and we believe that this was an isolated incident and no other properties were targeted.”

The maximum penalty for this charge is up to a year in jail and/or up to a $2,500 fine.