Man Accused of Shooting Pal’s Beloved Dog and Forcing Him to Dig a Grave to Bury the Animal

Joking between pals turned deadly when cops say James Charles Morales suddenly got hot, pulled a handgun and fatally shot his friend’s beloved pooch — then cruelly forced the heartbroken man at gunpoint to bury his pet.

The horrifying incident unfolded as 57-year-old Morales joked around in his home with his friend in Winton, Calif., a small community 100 miles south of Sacramento, on Jan. 12, according to CBS News.

Merced County Sheriff’s deputies say Morales had been enjoying the fun, but became upset and pulled a gun threatening to shoot his friend’s pet.

The mean threat turned to cruel action as Morales fired off several shots, gunning down the helpless pooch in front of his pal — then forcing the man to dig a grave and bury his pup, say deputies.

The anguished owner soon reported the horror to Animal Services and deputies were alerted and got a search warrant.

As they arrived at Morales’ home, they spotted him driving off and he was later busted in a traffic stop without incident.

Meanwhile, the lawmen began searching his property and say they discovered several 9mm bullet casings in the backyard and a 9mm handgun inside the house.

They also reportedly found a shallow grave containing the pitiful remains of a dog.

Deputies arrested Morales and booked him into the Merced County Jail. He’s charged with suspicion of animal cruelty, kidnapping, being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, and assault with a firearm.