Man charged in girlfriend's death accused of killing ex's dog in Minneapolis days earlier

A man jailed and charged with killing his girlfriend this week in Brooklyn Center is now accused of shooting and killing an ex's dog as she took her pet for a walk a few days earlier in south Minneapolis.

Michael I. Klinger, 36, of Anoka, was charged Wednesday in Hennepin County District Court with felony animal torture and illegal weapons possession in connection with the dog's death on July 27 along 34th Street near Nicollet Avenue.

These charges come on top of second-degree murder and other counts filed Tuesday on allegations that he shot girlfriend Katie A. Fredrickson, 34, early Sunday afternoon at her home in the 5400 block of N. 68th Avenue while the two were arguing.

"Augie and I were on our morning walk, and he showed up and was waiting for his getaway car," Emily Roitenberg told the Star Tribune. "As soon as the car slowed down, he looked me in the eyes and said he was going to take the only thing that loved me away from me, and he shot and killed him."

With her wounded 1 ¹⁄₂-year-old purebred chocolate Labrador retriever nearby, Roitenberg continued, "he got into the passenger side of the getaway car, looked back at us and laughed as he said, 'Now you will always be alone.' "

According to the newest charges:

Roitenberg called police about 5:40 a.m. and said her former boyfriend, Klinger, had just killed her dog.

She told police about how Klinger appeared unexpectedly and said he wanted to talk to her. He then drew his gun and shot Augie.

A neighbor told police that he found Roitenberg "crumpled on the sidewalk next to her dog," the charges read.

She said Klinger got in a car driven by someone else and fled.

On Sunday, a few hours after Fredrickson's death, Klinger was arrested in St. Louis Park. The officers seized four handguns — three of them stolen — nearly 1 pound of methamphetamine and $5,360 in cash, the murder-related charges said. Police searched a hotel room in St. Louis Park where Klinger was staying and collected ammunition and magazines.

Klinger remains held in lieu of $1.5 million bail ahead of an Aug. 31 court appearance. Messages have been left with his attorney seeking a response to the allegations in both cases.