A man who beat his girlfriend's Chihuahua to death on Staten Island has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor animal cruelty.
Frank Coppola entered the plea Friday. He is scheduled to be formally sentenced in April.
His plea deal requires him to spend his weekends in jail for the next three months
Besides the jail term, he will have to perform 100 hours of community service.
Authorities say Coppola killed the five-pound dog last year.
He initially told a veterinarian the pooch injured himself running into a wall.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
