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| Ingo, a former Watsonville K-9 police dog, owned by Francisco Ibarra, who was fired by the department, was emaciated, weighing just 55 pounds. |
Francisco Ibarra, who was terminated from the police department in 2010, was charged in March with two misdemeanor counts of neglect after authorities found an emaciated Ingo in the backyard of his Salinas home.
Ibarra, who has pleaded not guilty, was in court Thursday for a pre-trial conference.
Afterward he declined to comment on the case, but said he had not given up his right to reclaim Ingo.
Sgt. Stacy Sanders of the SPCA for Monterey County said Ingo will remain in protective custody until the case is resolved, and depending the outcome, may be available for adoption afterward.
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| Ingo, pictured here with SPCA Sgt. Stacy Sanders, a month after he was rescued from Ibarra's Salinas home. You can already see how much healthier he looks. |
“He’s in a foster home and getting a lot of socialization,” Sanders said. “He’s learning to be a normal dog in a house, and getting the attention he deserves. He’s doing really, really well.”
When an anonymous tip led authorities to Ingo in February, he weighed 55 pounds, about 25 pounds less than a healthy 5-year-old German Shepherd should weigh.
If convicted, Ibarra could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
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| Fired Watsonville police officer Francisco Ibarra was one of two officers to receive a police dog in the fall of 2007. In May 2010, the department fired Ibarra for inappropriate use of force in an incident that involved his new canine partner, Ingo. |
In March, Ibarra, a 15-year veteran of the police department, filed a petition contesting his termination in Santa Cruz County Superior Court. He is seeking reinstatement, along with back pay and other lost benefits.
Ibarra’s next court appearance is Aug. 16.
(The Californian - July 21, 2012)