California: Lucio Lopez accused of torturing kitten by locking her inside freezer, viciously squeezing her, then throwing her off balcony breaking her leg

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA -- A Fontana man has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty after allegedly putting a kitten in his freezer and then throwing her off his balcony, leaving the cat with serious injuries, police said Tuesday.

Officers began investigating last Friday afternoon after receiving a report of a man assaulting a 3- to 4-month-old kitten in the 9200 block of Olive Street, according to a Fontana Police Department news release.

The man, identified as 34-year-old Lucio Lopez, alleged became angry with the feline for entering his apartment and locked the cat inside the freezer [for an undetermined amount of time], witnesses told police.

He is accused of later taking the small animal out of the freezer and squeezing her body “as the frightened kitten cried out in pain,” the release stated.

After, he allegedly threw the cat off a second-floor balcony, police said. The feline hit the concrete below and suffered major injuries to her chest and a fractured leg.

“The kitten is doing as well as could be, but will need surgery and much needed love,” the release said.

Lopez initially fled the scene but was apprehended by police as he drove in the area of Oleander and San Bernardino avenues, according to the release. He was arrested and booked on suspicion of animal cruelty and an outstanding warrant.

Fontana Police Department Animal Cruelty Arrest

On 02/06/18, at approximately 2:45 am, Fontana PD officers responded to an apartment complex in the 9200 block of Olive, regarding Lucio Lopez (34) assaulting a 3-4 month old kitten.

Lopez fled the scene before the initial officer arrived.  Officers canvased the area and located Lopez driving in the area of Oleander and San Bernardino.

An investigation revealed Lopez was upset with the kitten for entering the apartment. Witnesses reported Lopez placed the kitten in the freezer.  Lopez later took the kitten out of the freezer and began squeezing its body as the frightened kitten cried out in pain. Lopez threw the kitten off the second story balcony.  The kitten struck the concrete floor resulting in major injuries to its chest and a fractured leg.

Lopez was arrested by officers and booked at the West Valley Detention Center for animal cruelty and an outstanding warrant. Fontana Animal Services responded to the scene and transported the kitten to the veterinarian for emergency treatment.

The kitten is doing as well as could be, but will need surgery and much needed love.

• Suspect: Lucio Cota Lopez, 34, Fontana resident
• Victim: 3-4 month old, female tortoiseshell kitten nicknamed “Olive” by emergency room staff  

(KTLA - February 6, 2018)

Louisiana: Police say while pet sitting a friend's Yorkie, Sam Smith tortured him by spraying him with hot water, ripping out his fur then locking him inside the freezer

LOUISIANA -- A West Monroe man has been arrested for animal cruelty after he agreed to pet sit for a friend and then tortured and "mutilated" her tiny Yorkie.

Samuel Smith, 24 of West Monroe, was arrested Thursday around 9:00 p.m.

According to the report, deputies with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office spoke with the victim who stated she left her Yorkshire Terrier named Bitty Boo in the care of her friend Sam Smith at her residence at the Ashford Apartments on December 13, 2017.

Less than two hours later, she received a call from Smith saying her dog left the apartment without his knowledge and returned with injuries to his face.

The dog had severe, bloody injuries to his face and head as well as missing skin and hair. His eyes were also swollen and injured.

The dog was taken to a nearby veterinarian's office for treatment and at this time it is unknown if the damage to its eyes will be permanent.

The dog's owner, Sara Durbin, said she initially thought it was either a horrible accident or that some unknown person had hurt her tiny dog and that Bitty Boo escaped and made his way back home. She never suspected her friend Sam Smith of being the abuser.

 

 

However, later Sara found a chunk of Bitty Boo's fur inside her freezer. She said even then it didn't dawn on her what had happened. She said she thought to herself, "What's that doing in there?" But then she discovered more of Bitty Boo's fur inside the freezer as well as frozen blood spatter inside.

She said the fur didn't appear to have been cut off her dog as you would see with fur that's been cut off with scissors; it appeared to have been brutally yanked out of the dog's head.

On December 14, 2017, deputies met with Smith.

He admitted to spraying the dog with hot water in the bathroom of the apartment. Smith also stated he then carried the dog into the kitchen and shoved him inside the freezer. He claims that he only left Bitty Boo inside the freezer "for about 30 seconds".

The owner said the suspect also used a hair dryer on the dog after he was removed from the freezer.

It was either the boiling hot water or the hair dryer that caused the burn-type injuries to the dog's face (as well as the injury from having all of its hair forcefully jerked from its head and face - look at that dog's face. He wasn't able to yank all that fur out in one attempt. He held this little dog down and repeatedly grabbed chunks of hair and yanked, then yanked, then yanked, over and over again while the tiny dog cried and struggled).

 

 

Smith reportedly told police he did not like the dog but did not mean to mutilate it. The affidavit states, "arrestee described his actions as just 'messing' with the dog."

When he realized how much he had injured the little dog by torturing it, that's when he called the owner, Sara, and made up the lie that Bitty Boo had escaped the apartment and then suddenly shown back up with these horrific injuries.

Sara said she'd talked with mutual friends and "they don't understand either. None of us saw any signs that he was even capable of doing something like this".

I guess it's a good thing he panicked and called her so soon. Otherwise, the tiny dog may have been tortured for days before he finally killed him and disposed of his body. Then he could have simply lied to Sara, the owner, and told her Bitty Boo ran away - and they never would have found his body and Sara would never have known that her friend is a psychopath who enjoys torturing and killing defenseless animals.

Smith has been booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center on one count of aggravated animal cruelty.

His bond has been set at $5,000.

NEWS VIDEO CLIP:

ARREST INFORMATION:

Full name: Samuel Clayton Smith

Race: White

Sex: Male

Birthdate: 05/12/1993

Address: West Monroe, Louisiana 71291

Booking Date: 12/14/2017

Booking Time: 11:29 PM

Release Date: 12/15/2017

Release Time: 3:22 PM

Prisoner Type: Felony Pre-Trial

Booking Origin: Ouachita Parish Sheriff Office

Offense Date: 12/14/2017

Disposition: Bonded Out

Crime Class: FELONY

Arresting Agency: Ouachita Parish Sheriff Office

Charge Description: ANIMAL CRUELTY, AGGRAVATED

Statute: 14:102.1/B1

Bond Number: 2017-00013505

Total Bond Amount: $5,000.00

  

 

  

 

 

 

GoFundMe: Justice for Bitty Boo!

Created December 16, 2017

Sara Durbin 

  Animals

  WEST MONROE, LA

My 3.5lb Yorkie was burned with scorching hot water and put in a freezer! I'm asking for help to get a lawyer to make sure he doesn't get away with this! So far, I have missed 3 days of work to be with her and the vet bills are getting higher. Please help me make this happen! She is a sweetheart and didn't deserve this!

 

 

(MyArkLaMiss - Dec 15, 2017)

Illinois: Joe Abts send grieving owners ashes of their pets when really he threw their pets' bodies into freezers to rot

ILLINOIS -- A pet cemetery in Illinois is being accused of deceiving their clients and giving them random ashes after the remains of dozens of animals were discovered decomposing in a freezer.

Investigators began looking into Katy's Pet Cemetery and Crematory in Tazewell County earlier this month after allegations emerged that they were giving away the ashes of animals that did not belong to their owners.

Animal rescue volunteer Richie Rich said he made the discovery while he was searching for a lost dog in South Pekin.

'We were out there searching for a dog named Cosmo, a great dane,' Rich told local CBS broadcaster WMBD on Thursday.

'When we were making our rounds, close to a pumpkin field where she was last seen, and Kayla noticed some standing water of the cemetery.'

Rich, who works with the Trap and Animal Rescue of Peoria (TRAP) organization, said he began searching the cemetery because it would have likely provided the right conditions for a domesticated animal, including water and shelter.

'We pulled in to check for paw prints, didn't see anything, we're immediately met with the smell of what we thought at the time was roadkill... There was a chest freezer outside, along the side of the building that, the closer we got to it, the stronger the smell.'

Tazewell County Chief Deputy Jeffrey Lower later told WMBD: 'There were three animals inside it that had been there for some time. One of those animals had a microchip in the animal. We were able to identify that animal and the owner had received ashes.'

The animal was a cat that was supposedly cremated in 2013 at Katy's Pet Cemetery and Crematory.

Lower said that another 15 were discovered, and '10 more in another freezer and we have 12 of them.'

'We only took possession of those that had the microchip in them and the rest of them there's just no way for us to identify,' Lower added.

Lower said that they even found an animal from as far back as 2001.

Lower said that the owner had not done anything illegal 'as far as the disposal process' was concerned.

'The only part that was illegal was representing ashes of an animal that was not truly that animal,' the law enforcement officer noted.

What about theft? Fraud? Improper disposal of a dead animal? If he said he was sending the animal out of state for cremation, now you've got interstate crimes which involves the federal authorities.

Joe Abts, owner of the pet cemetery, committed suicide on Wednesday soon after authorities opened an investigation into the claims, hindering police from pressing charges.

Pet owners affected by the alleged scheme still have the option to file a civil complaint against Katy's Pet Cemetery and Crematory.

In remains unclear why the cemetery kept the animals in the freezer.

According to their website, the pet cemetery was opened in 1984, offering pet cremation and burial, as well as online obituaries for deceased pets.

An email seeking comment from Katy's Pet Cemetery and Crematory was not immediately answered.

An answering machine for Katy's Pet Cemetery and Crematory said that the establishment was closed on Sunday's after a phone call was placed.

(Daily Mail - July 30, 2017)

Alabama: Le Ngoc Pham and Hoan Cong Nguyen indicted on 81 counts of animal cruelty charges; together get $1.4 million dollar bond - which they immediately post and are released

ALABAMA -- A Dothan couple has been indicted on numerous charges of animal cruelty after animals were found in deplorable conditions inside their home.

According to court documents, Le Ngoc Pham and Hoan Cong Nguyen have been indicted on 65 counts of dog/cat cruelty and 16 counts of cruelty to animals.

 

 

The two were arrested in March after law enforcement officers received a tip that led investigators to their home.

According to Dothan investigators, officers found several dogs confined to spaces where they were lying in fecal matter. The animals also had inadequate water and food. 

Nine puppies were also discovered inside a freezer, causing investigators to believe the home was being used as a puppy mill.

Each had bonds totaling $702,000, for a grand total of the two being $1,404,000. If they were typical bonds, they had to come up with 10% - more than $140,000 in cash.

Arrested and booked into the Dothan City Jail and then because it being a felony booked into the Houston County Jail were: Hoan Cong Nguyen (aka TONY NGUYEN), male, age 47 and Le Ngoc Pham, female age 34.

Both subjects arrested have been released on bonds following their arrest.

The subjects listed an address of 2913 Peachtree Drive Dothan Alabama. On the paperwork filed in the court system, Pham listed her occupation Luxy Nails Spa and Hoan Nguyen (aka Tony Nguyen) is the owner.

 

 

Nguyen listed his employment as "self employed" in the remodeling business.

Documents say Pham’s trial date has been set for September 18, while Nyguyen’s trial date has been set for November 13.

TASER BODY CAM VIDEO (NO SOUND):


VIDEO SHOWING PROPERTY:

Zillow listing from 2012:

2913 Peachtree Dr,

Dothan, AL 36303

4 beds 3 baths 2,194 sqft

$195,000

4 Bedroom 3 full bath home with office. 2 car garage with 18 ft. garage door. Very private lot in town with lots of trees. Close to Providence Christian School and Pavilion Shopping Center. Master bath has separate tub and shower. Master bedroom has his and her closets. Built in 2009.

(WSFA - July 26, 2017)

Earlier:

• Alabama: Hoan Cong Nguyen and Le Ngoc Pham accused of running a puppy mill; 81 animals seized. Dead puppies found in freezer.

Tennessee: Stacy Tallent and Dustin Tallent arrested and charged with child neglect, 11 dead animals found in freezer, 10 more animals living in squalor with children

TENNESSEE -- Three young children have been taken from a Tennessee home that authorities say was filled with trash and feces.

Parents Stacy Tallent and Dustin Tallent, both 31, were arrested Monday in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, and charged with aggravated child neglect, said Sgt Marty Bowman of the Soddy Daisy Police Department.

 

 

Twenty one animals were removed from the home including 11 that were found dead in a freezer - two dogs, two turtles, a rabbit and five parakeets  - the Executive Director of the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga,  Bob Citrullo, said.

 

 

The other animals were found alive - four dogs, three cats, a rabbit, a python and a lizard.

Citrullo described them all as being 'very thin' and covered in parasites and fleas.

 

 

 

The children - aged two, two and five - weren't at home on Saturday when police performed a welfare check.

However, officers did note the conditions the animals were left in on the property.

The state of the home prompted them to call the Humane Educational Society on Monday morning, Citrullo said.

According to WTVC, the pair of two-year-old boys were twins and lived with their brother in the garbage-littered rooms.

When officers arrived on the scene, they said that at least one of the children were locked in a room sitting on a mattress and allegedly surrounded by filth, Citrullo said.

 

In the home, there were feces scattered everywhere and trash all over the house.

One officer told the WTVC: 'I've never seen anything like this.'

The couple were taking to custody at a Hamilton County jail and the HES plans to recommend animal neglect charges to them.

  

   

   

  

    

 

  

 

 

  

 

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(Daily Mail - June 27, 2017)