Meals on Wheels Volunteer Charged With Killing Dog

A Meals on Wheels volunteer in Gresham is charged with aggravated animal abuse after he allegedly killed a chihuahua belonging to a woman to whom he was delivering food.

Gresham Police say that last week 68-year-old Donald Nicoli was making a regular delivery to a woman with three dogs. He had been delivering food to every Monday for several months and she would leave the door unlocked for him.

On this day, he arrived, called out the woman's name and her three dogs jumped off the bed to greet him.

Moments later, she would tell cops, she heard a thud and then only two dogs returned.

She went to the kitchen and found Baby - her six-year-old chihuahua - dead on the floor.

Baby was sent to Oregon State University where they determined the dog died from blunt force trauma and multiple skull fractures.

Police interviewed Nicoli who admitted to kicking the dog but couldn't remember specific details leading up to the day's events.

He is charged with one count of aggravated animal abuse.