Lancaster man who killed poodle and his owner in 2015 found guilty of murder

A former convict accused of killing a young Lancaster man in 2015 after he ran over the man’s dog has been found guilty of first-degree murder.

Demonte Antone Thomas, 29, of Lancaster, is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 14 for the death of Michael Lamont Davis, 22.

Davis lived in a Lancaster apartment complex in the 600 block of East Avenue H-14 with his pregnant girlfriend and their young son, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Det. Tim O’Quinn. 

On June 26, 2015, prosecutors said Thomas ran over the Davis family’s poodle in his 1985 white Chevy Blazer. Davis ran after the driver, demanding that he help pay for the dog’s medical expenses. The two men exchanged words, O’Quinn said, and Thomas drove away.

Davis took the dog to a veterinarian’s office for treatment, but the dog ultimately died, O’Quinn said. 

Later that night, Thomas went to Davis’ house with five to seven other men, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

When Davis requested that Thomas pay for his dog’s veterinary bills, Thomas pulled a gun and shot the young father, prosecutors said. Davis was pronounced dead at the scene.

Thomas previously served four months in prison in June 2009 for the transport of non-narcotic controlled substances, according to records from the California State Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He completed his parole in November 2010.

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @latimeshomicide on Twitter.