Hunter
08/14/26
An Iowa City man was arrested Wednesday afternoon on a warrant stemming from an animal abuse case earlier in the month.
According to court records, 39-year-old Mancel Murphy of Taylor Drive was operating an electric scooter near the intersection of Broadway Street, Sandusky Drive and Sandusky Avenue the afternoon of August 5th with something dragging behind him. Police realized the thing being dragged was a small dog. According to their narrative, the dog was dragging on the concrete and was flopping around like a rag doll.
A stop was initiated, and the dog reportedly had blood all over its legs and was panting heavily.
A warrant for Murphy’s arrest was issued the following day; he was taken into custody and charged with Animal Abuse, a serious misdemeanor punishable by a jail sentence of up to a year if convicted.