Pahrump man punctured tortoise’s shell to use leash, report says
A Pahrump man facing animal cruelty charges told investigators that he punctured the shell of a desert tortoise to put a leash on the animal.
Nye County Sheriff’s Office deputies found the tortoise struggling to stay above water in a bucket behind 71-year-old Philip Peng’s home when they went to arrest him in an unrelated crime, according to his arrest report.
Peng was identified as a suspect after a July 12 encounter at a Pahrump doughnut shop. Peng allegedly pointed a gun at an employee before riding away on a bicycle. Two days later, deputies went to his home on the 2000 block of Idaho Street in Pahrump to arrest him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and pointing a gun at another person.
That’s when investigators found the injured animal. Deputies also found a long cord nearby that was tied to the porch.
The tortoise was taken to a veterinarian, who said the animal had injuries on its feet from trying to walk while tethered.
“The Dr. stated that a tortoise would not recognize that it was tethered, and would therefore endlessly struggle against the tension in an effort to free itself from the situation,” the report said.
Peng told deputies that he drilled a second hole in the shell after the first one got too big and began to fracture.
Deputies arrested Peng again on July 21 after finding a concealed revolver on him. Peng was stopped because he did not have lights on the back of his bicycle.
Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.
