"As far as I am concerned it is a hit-and-run," said Chitwood.
Four-month-old King, a German Shepherd/Doberman Pinscher mix, was a gift to James Watson, 19, from his uncle. A group of friends and family had gathered at Watson's Ashby road home on Tuesday evening. Someone accidentally left the basement door open.
A white sedan was allegedly speeding down the alley and stuck the dog. He kept going. Watson's mother saw the incident, chased after the car and called 911. When police arrived they determined King had died.
"He was a good dog," said James Watson, who missed his companion.
Police searched the area and spotted the car driven by Robertson, covered in blood and feces, with fresh damage to the driver's side front corner.
"I hit something but I don't know what I hit," Robertson allegedly told police. Police said Robertson's eyes were "blood shot and glassy," according to court documents.
A passenger in the car told police Robertson had just picked her up. When police told her to sit in the car, Robertson became irate and screamed at police. When other police responded Robertson took a "bladed fighting stance." He was wrestled to the ground and arrested. Robertson told police he had smoked marijuana on Saturday and agreed to a blood test, according to court documents.
"When they processed him, police were standing by with a taser because he was acting like such a moron the night before," Chitwood said. The taser was not needed, he said.
Chitwood said while the incident was an accident, Robertson escalated the situation by leaving the scene and fighting with police. The defendant is a victim of his own bad behavior, said Chitwood.
Ashley Watson, the victim's 23-year-old sister, said her brother is very upset at the loss of his pet. Two other dogs in the household are also mourning the death. The family, she said, is happy police acted quickly to find a suspect.
"We just really miss him [King]," she said.
Contact staff writer Mari A. Schaefer at 610-313-8111, mschaefer@phillynews.com or @MariSchaefer on Twitter.
