A Santa Clarita man accused of cruelty to animals was arraigned in San Fernando Superior Court Wednesday on five felony counts of animal cruelty and one misdemeanor count of domestic violence.
“These victims can’t speak for themselves. We have to be their voice. We take animal cruelty cases very seriously,” Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, said Thursday.
According to a woman who contacted The Signal about the alleged incidents of animal cruelty, the suspect on one occasion punched one of the dogs in the face.
The suspect is also accused of smothering a dog named Simon in October 2018, killing the animal. According to Miller, the dog named Simon died at 2 years of age as a result of injuries allegedly inflicted by the defendant.
Ten days later, she said, the suspect threw Oliver against the wall. The light-colored dog named Oliver is recovering from a fractured pelvis and broken femur as a result of injuries allegedly inflicted by the defendant, Miller said.
The defendant, according to Miller, had previously posted bail on a domestic violence charge. However, the judge remanded the suspect back into custody, and set his bail at $130,000.
Miller pointed out that April is designated as National Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month to bring awareness that animal cruelty is more prevalent than people think and everyone can play a part in helping prevent it.
If you see signs of animal abuse, you can contact the County of Los Angeles – Castaic Animal Care Center. If it is an emergency, call 9-1-1.
661-287-5527
On Twitter @jamesarthurholt
