Man accused of breaking into home, holding dog for ransom

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A Butler County man is behind bars in Warren County, accused of breaking into a woman’s home, stealing her dog and then threatening to cut its throat.

According to the arrest citation, home surveillance footage showed a man exit a vehicle on Pruitt Road and walk toward a residence, then appear a short time later with a white pitbull terrier on his shoulder and drive off with the dog.

The citation states that while speaking to deputies, the homeowner received a text message from 40-year-old Jarrod Wilkerson that read, “I tried to reason with you, but you didn’t want to listen to me. So now you can agree to those terms, or I’ll cut her throat now and be done with her, but not completely done.”

Deputies say Wilkerson followed up with a text later asking her to meet him at the intersection of KY-185 and Reedyville Road in Butler County.

Upon arriving, deputies say they approached Wilkerson, who had to be forcibly removed from the vehicle. Once detained, he told them he stole the dog because she had sold one of his previously, and believed threatening to kill it would get her to comply to his terms.

The dog was found safe inside the vehicle.