CROWN POINT | Paul Krizo was charged in Lake Criminal Court with violently beating his dog to death in July, records state.

The 26-year-old Whiting man faces one felony and one misdemeanor count each of cruelty to an animal.

According to court records:

Krizo, who lived in a Hammond apartment at the time, allegedly put on a pair of leather welding gloves and began beating the small tan Chihuahua that lived with him, his girlfriend and three children. He threw the 1-year-old dog against the front door and chased it into the bedroom, where the dog tried to hide.

A witness, who was working on Krizo's computer, told Hammond police he saw the beating and told Krizo to stop.

Krizo left for a short time, then returned to beating the dog, records state. He put the dog's body into an empty 12-pack case of pop, shot it with a BB gun, then threw it in the trash.

The witness contacted police after he left Krizo's apartment, and officers reportedly found the dog's bloody body still in the case in the trash can.

An autopsy showed it died of a BB gun wound.

Police received permission from Krizo's girlfriend to search the home. She reported being told a different story by her boyfriend.

Police found the home in disrepair, with animal feces smeared on the bathroom and kitchen floors and trash and empty beer bottles scattered throughout. Officers told the woman the home wasn't fit for the three children.

Witnesses told police that Krizo had killed a ferret three weeks before, and relatives had removed two mistreated dogs from the home.

The woman told police she had already gotten another dog.