West Jordan man accused of killing roommate’s dog, trying to burn evidence

WEST JORDAN — A West Jordan man was arrested Monday after police say he killed his roommate’s dog and then tried to dispose of evidence by burning it.

Drake Montgomery, 23, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of arson, torturing a companion animal and obstruction of justice.

Related reading: 3 dogs in hoarding case have died, veterinarians still remain positive about outcome

After his arrest, Montgomery told police that he punched, choked and eventually stabbed his roommate’s dog multiple times with a kitchen knife, according to a police booking affidavit.

“Drake stated that the dog had been mimicking him and causing him significant stress. He expressed a belief that the dog was not real, but rather a robot, as the dog was neuralinked to him, and he could no longer handle the situation,” the affidavit alleges.

Montgomery took the deceased animal from his West Jordan residence to Emigration Canyon along with a gas can, a shovel and the cleaning supplies he used at his residence after killing the dog, according to the affidavit.

“A witness observed Drake walking down a trail in Emigration Canyon with a gas can. The witness saw smoke rising from up the trail. Drake admitted to starting the fire to burn the bloody items,” police wrote. “The deceased dog was found inside the trunk of Drake’s vehicle, alongside burnt rags and cleaning fluid.”

Police have requested Montgomery be held in the Salt Lake County Jail pending the filing of charges, noting that there are concerns about his mental health, and because his vehicle is registered in Arizona and “he possesses multiple driver’s licenses from Arizona, Kentucky, Illinois and New Mexico.”