Hilton Head man charged with killing family dog, trying to kill his mother, police say
A Hilton Head Island man faces charges for killing his family dog and trying to kill his mother, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Bion Howard, 34, was arrested Saturday and charged with one count of felony ill-treatment of animals and one count of assault and battery in the first degree, jail records show.
At approximately 3 p.m. Saturday, deputies responded to a home on Hilton Head Plantation to a report that Howard killed his family’s dog.
His mother reported to police Howard had been having mental episodes in the past week, including saying things like “They were living in a time loop and he had to kill her to stop it,” a Sheriff’s Office report stated.
Howard “made several comments about killing the family dog, Curly,” the report stated.
Howard had also placed knives around the house and been self-harming, the mother told police. The day before, they had Howard speak to a clinical psychologist and he was given an appointment for the following week, she said.
Howard told his mother he killed Curly with a metal bar, the report stated.
He also followed his mother into the bedroom with a pocket knife in his hand, saying he had to kill her, too, according to the report. She locked herself in the bathroom and he tried to bust the door down, police said.
Police put Howard in handcuffs and tried to interview him in the back of a patrol car. He said he did not understand due to a short-term memory loss issue, the report said.
Reached by phone Wednesday morning, Howard’s mother declined to comment to the Island Packet on what occurred.
Howard is being held at the Beaufort County Detention Center.
Felony ill-treatment of an animal carries up to five years in prison, S.C. law states. Assault and battery in the first degree holds up to 10 years in prison.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health emergency, the S.C. Department of Mental Health has a 24/7 crisis response line to call at 833-364-2274.
This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 12:16 PM.
