Updated

Prosecutors in Frederick have added a felony count of aggravated animal cruelty to the charges against a Brunswick man accused of tossing a Chihuahua off a bridge.

The additional charge prompted postponement of a hearing Thursday for 34-year-old David Michael Beers.

Beers already faced a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty plus theft and trespass charges. The new charge means he could be sentenced to up to three years in prison if convicted.

Police say Beers has admitted he threw Caisha and Tim Wantz's dog Zoey from his car as he drove over Catoctin Creek.

Court documents allege Beers grabbed the animal during an argument with the couple after he pulled into their long, rural driveway to make a cell phone call.