Aug. 24—WILKES-BARRE — Two folks charged by Pittston City police with abandoning a pit bull named Nova in June 2021 could have separate trials.
Shaniqwa Scott, 24, of Plymouth, pleaded not responsible to a felony cost of aggravated cruelty to animals and misdemeanor prices of cruelty to animals and neglect of animals earlier than Luzerne County Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr. on Thursday.
Scott together with Terik Wiggins, 31, of Wilkes-Barre, had been charged after a prolonged investigation that started when Nova was present in an alley close to Butler Street, Pittston, on June 8, 2021.
Nova was nursed again to well being by the efforts of the SPCA of Luzerne County, Shoemaker Animal Hospital and Dr. Sara McGarry, and Maxwell’s House and has since been adopted by former Pittston Police Chief and Luzerne County Det. Neil Murphy and his spouse, Pittston Township Police Chief Lena Angelella.
Police charged Scott and Wiggins after investigators tracked a Ford Explorer to an house in Hanover Village, Hanover Township, the place Scott beforehand resided.
Emails and digital units registered to Scott and Wiggins had been allegedly tracked to the world the place Nova was deserted, in keeping with court docket data.
Wiggins is scheduled for trial the week of Sept. 18 on related offenses earlier than Sklarosky.