The Westminster man, accused of slamming his young dog into the ground with her leash, kicked and dragged her outside an apartment building in Long Beach and pleaded not guilty to felony animal cruelty Tuesday.
Alexander Cueva, 28, is also facing special allegations of personal use of a deadly and dangerous weapon. He returns to court in Long Beach on May 7th.
A security camera video on January 21 showed a German Shepherd mix getting caught in a string around his neck and slammed on the ground. The dog, about 6-8 months old, was then kicked in the face and dragged into an attack outside his 200 block of apartment on East 12th Street, near Anaheim Street.
After security videos were widely shared on social media, a $5,000 reward was provided for information leading to arrest and conviction in the case.
Long Beach police said they found Cueva on April 22 in the 800 block of Pine Avenue and took him into custody. Although it led to his arrest, details were not available immediately.
Queva has remained in jail since his arrest. It was not immediately clear whether there was a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
The dog, now named RUE, was being cared for by Long Beach Animal Care Services. The video showed her being placed in a foster home, playing with chewing toys and rolling her back.
“It’s the puppy you’ve been waiting for! A week after the animal cruelty viral video surfaced and @longbeachpd.ca fell into our care, we’re happy to report that she’s “home” from the hospital and thriving in foster care,” the agency said. “Her foster parents are named her ‘rue’ and she receives training, lots of love and rest, lots of toys! Please be careful.
When the charges were announced last week, the LA County Prosecutor’s Office called the abuse “calculated violence.”
“It’s very troublesome to see this level of calculated violence given to helpless animals,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Hochman. “This is the second felony animal cruelty case I filed this week and I don’t hesitate to file accusations when I see this type of unforgivable criminal activity.”
In other cases, the 40-year-old man pleaded guilty to a felony of animal cruelty, allegedly arrested for video of defeating an American micro bully with a metal chain rope in an apartment in downtown Los Angeles.
