A 45-year-old Lowhill Township man has been charged with shooting four of his neighbor's five piglets around 5:25 p.m. Oct. 18, 2014, after they repeatedly entered his property causing damage.

According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained from the office of District Judge Rod Beck, Richard William Anthony, of the 5358 Bluebird Drive was charged with four counts of cruelty to animals in the death of the four piglets, valued at $2,800.

State Trooper Kyle Berardinucci states in the affidavit the four 6-month-old piglets, weighing about 70 pounds each, belonged to Todd Michael Hedricks.

According to Berardinucci, Lisa Marie Yandersits, Anthony's spouse, called State Police Troop M Fogelsville to report Anthony shot the piglets in case an issue arose when Hedrick returned home.

Berardinucci said he met with Hedricks in his driveway around 5:41 p.m. the day of the shooting.

Hedricks said when he returned home around 5:30 p.m. he saw two of his piglets in the driveway outside of their pen and, as he was herding the two piglets back to their pen, he saw one of his piglets had a gunshot wound to its rear left hind leg.

According to the affidavit, after Hedrick put the two piglets in their pen, he began to search for his three remaining piglets.

While traveling onto his neighbor's property, he saw one of the piglets had a gunshot wound to its lower abdomen, and was unsuccessful in locating the two other piglets.

Hedricks told Berardinucci he was raising the piglets; they were to be sent to the butcher Dec. 7, 2014, and he had already received a deposit from his client for the purchase of the five piglets.

According to the affidavit, Berardinucci fired two shots at the piglet, which sustained a gunshot wound to the lower abdomen, after he was advised by Hedricks the piglet was suffering and in distress, and requested he put it down.

Anthony, who was identified through his driver's license, allegedly said during an interview on Oct. 19, 2014, Hedrick's five piglets had been coming onto his property, causing damage. He also said it had been a recurring issue for several months.

Anthony said he attempted to chase the piglets off his property and was successful, but some 30 minutes later, he noticed the piglets back on his property.

He retrieved his 30-06 rifle from the back porch and fired one warning shot in the air to disperse the piglets.

This, however, failed to work. Anthony then allegedly fired four additional shots in the area of the piglets.

Berardinucci states Anthony told him he and Yandersits loaded two of the dead piglets in his truck and drove to Mountain Road where they dumped them on the side of the road.

According to Lehigh County court records, Anthony's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 17 before District Judge Beck, Slatington.