California: Man shoots and kills Tulare woman's Chihuahua for barking too much, police say

CALIFORNIA -- Leticia Davis walked outside Tuesday morning and found her dog Nike had been shot. She picked up the motionless Chihuahua and noticed he was covered in blood.

Moments later, the Tulare woman remembered her neighbor had been yelling threats at her dog late Monday night, she said.

Davis immediately called her husband and then called police.

“Nike’s head just flopped over when I picked him up. I saw him lying there, like he was frozen in the dirt,” she said. “He was such a friendly dog. He only barked when our neighbor was outside drinking Keystone Light.”

Detectives arrived just after 10 a.m. Tuesday and found Nike in the backyard. Michael Capote, an animal control officer, picked Nike up gently and walked him to an Animal Service Truck.

“We have to get him out of here. He isn’t doing well,” he said.

Nike, who was almost 2, died Tuesday afternoon.

Davis told detectives that her neighbor, Bryan Guy Martin, 48, of Tulare, had been outside Monday night yelling at the dog for barking. She believes Martin shot Nike sometime overnight.

“He kept yelling, ‘I am going to shoot you,’ ” she said. “This little Chihuahua never hurt anyone. He had a cute little Nike symbol on his forehead.”

Detectives knocked on Martin’s door in the 500 block of Bonita Street in Tulare. Martin said he had wondered why police were outside his house. After nearly half an hour of questioning Martin inside the home and searching the backyard, police arrested him.

 

Before being walked outside, he yelled to police that he didn’t do anything.

Officers also found a pellet gun, which they believe was used to kill Nike.

Tulare police Sgt. Darron Altermatt, said Martin was booked at the Main Jail in Visalia. Detectives from the violent crimes unit recommended felony animal cruelty charges, which carry a state prison sentence, if convicted.

 

Davis said she was worried for her three other dogs at home. She and her family had just moved in six months ago.

(Visalia Times - Jan 17, 2014)