Judge spins rhymes in puppy-napping case

OREGON CITY, Ore. - An Oregon man accused of stealing an English bulldog puppy at gunpoint was convicted of the crime by a judge who left him with a rhyme.

The Oregonian newspaper reports that Clackamas County Judge Susie Norby did not buy JaJuane Etheridge's claim that he was the victim of a setup.

She summarized the case by telling him Monday: "You lied and lied; I can't put that aside. It was your car; you went too far. You hid the pup; the jig was up. You got rid of the gun; your game is done."

Police said Etheridge stole the $2,000 puppy from breeders James and Patricia Steele after they agreed to meet him in October 2012. Etheridge gave the dog to his girlfriend as a birthday gift for her daughter.

Etheridge is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 1.