Florida: When her child’s lost puppy was returned to her, Diana Linares choked and strangled it, cops say

FLORIDA -- A Homestead woman is accused of strangling a Siberian husky puppy hard enough to cause an eye injury.

According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, witnesses familiar with 6-month-old Lulu found her wandering around Aviation Boulevard in Marathon. They returned Lulu to Diana Linares, the mother of the dog’s owner.

As they left, witnesses told deputies, they saw a man knee Lulu to the chest after lifting her up by the front paws.

Linares took the dog, but not, witnesses say, to comfort her. They say Linares began choking Lulu by picking her up by the collar for half a minute to a minute each lift.

After cajoling Linares into giving Lulu back to them, the witnesses took her to the Marathon Veterinary Clinic. The clinic notified Monroe County Animal Control after diagnosing an eye injury caused by asphyxiation or blunt force trauma. Animal Control, in turn, called the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Linares was charged Sunday with misdemeanor cruelty to animals. The incident happened Nov. 20.

(Miami Herald - Dec 7, 2016)