A woman from Fair Play faces felony child endangerment and armed criminal action charges after allegedly shooting a gun at a dog that was in close proximity to a juvenile.
According to online court records, Cassity R. Bayer, 40, is charged in Polk County Circuit Court with class D felony first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, felony armed criminal action, class E felony unlawful use of a weapon, and class E felony resisting/interfering with arrest for a felony. She also faces a misdemeanor charge for attempted animal abuse.
The probable cause statement said Fair Play police responded to the 200 block of North Elm St. in Fair Play at around 9:53 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19 for a report of a woman who discharged a firearm toward the roadway at a dog for being too close to her property. The statement also said that a teenage juvenile had been 10 to 20 feet away from the dog at the time.
The juvenile and his dog had been walking on Elm St. toward Polk County Library, when his dog neared the fence line by Bayer’s mailbox. When she yelled at the teen to get control of his dog, he called the dog back to him.
As the dog started to return to its owner, the juvenile “heard a gunshot and looked back and saw Bayer with a black or gray handgun,” the statement said. The juvenile returned home with the dog.
Upon being confronted by law enforcement about the incident, Bayer denied having any knowledge about the incident and explained that “she was inside all day.” Officers reported that Bayer had a strong odor of marijuana coming from her person and from her house.
Bayer was arrested and held in Polk County Jail on $50,000 cash or surety bond. The bond was posted, and she was released from jail on Monday, Feb. 20, per online court records.
She is due in court on Wednesday, April 12 for a criminal setting.
