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Arrest Warrant Issued For Man Who Allegedly Attacked Neighbor's Dog

NEWPORT BEACH (CBS) — An arrest warrant was issued Thursday for a Mission Viejo man accused of attacking a neighbor's dog with a garden rake causing the animal to lose an eye, according to court records.

Michael Stuart Patterson, 51, was supposed to show up in court Tuesday, but failed to appear. He was given a second chance to come to court today or an arrest warrant would be issued, according to Farrah Emami of the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Patterson pleaded not guilty Nov. 18 to charges of first-degree residential burglary and animal cruelty, both felonies.

Patterson is accused of kicking open the front door of his neighbor's home Nov. 16 when the neighbor wasn't there, found the dog, named Honey, and attacked her with a yard rake, Emami said.

Patterson was apparently angry that Honey would bark frequently when her owner wasn't home, Emami said.

Another neighbor who heard the commotion wrote down the license plate number of the alleged attacker and called the sheriff's department, Emami said.

Patterson posted $50,000 bail Dec. 30. He could face up to six years and eight months in prison if convicted.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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