PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A woman is now facing animal abuse charges after witnesses allege she swung her dog in the air by its leash and tried to hang it, following a confrontation on the MAX train early Monday morning.
According to court documents, a group of TriMet employees rescued the animal and held 40-year-old Jessica Sue Tornblad to the ground, while police arrived at the corner of Southwest Sixth Avenue and Morrison Street.
Tornblad, who also goes by the last name McQueen, was then arrested, after she and several other witnesses confirmed the animal abuse with officers.
When police asked Tornblad what she was trying to do, she allegedly told them, “I was trying to hang my dog and kill it,” court documents revealed.
She was later asked how she planned to harm the animal, and according to police reports Tornblad responded with, “By the leash.”
Court documents suggest Tornblad began abusing the dog on the train after a TriMet employee asked her to control the barking animal.
According to the probable cause affidavit written by Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Austin G. Buhl, the comment enraged Tornblad, who allegedly responded by telling the worker she could do whatever she wanted with her service animal, and further threatened to hang the dog while still on board.
Daniel Brown, a TriMet employee whose witness account was included in the affidavit, claimed the train was then stopped and Tornblad exited with her dog, before allegedly raising the animal off the ground by its leash and whipping it around in a circular motion through the air.
Brown told Police, he left the train to confront Tornblad and told her to stop the abuse, to which she responded by hanging the dog by its neck from a nearby fence.
According to Brown’s account, the employee rushed to save the animal and Tornblad was tackled to the ground by a bystander.
Once on scene, Police contacted Multnomah County Animal Services to take in and treat the animal.
Tornblad’s arraignment was held in Multnomah County Circuit Court Tuesday. She currently faces charges of first-degree aggravated animal abuse, attempted aggravated animal abuse, attempted first-degree animal abuse, and second-degree animal abuse.
Court documents reveal that Tornblad was also released Tuesday, but is under strict court orders to “not possess any animals.” She is expected to be back in court on May 20.