Man Sentenced For Fatally Stabbing Chihuahua In Thousand Palms

THOUSAND PALMS (CNS) – A man was sentenced today to nearly a year in
prison for stabbing a Chihuahua to death in Thousand Palms.

Alfredo Leon Ruiz, 38, pled guilty to one felony count of cruelty to
an animal and was sentenced Monday to 364 days behind bars, plus two years of
formal probation.

He was taken into custody on April 13 on suspicion of animal cruelty
for killing a Chihuahua, according to Riverside County Animal Services. The
charges against him stemmed from an incident that occurred at a property on
Arbol Real Avenue in Thousand Palms, where Animal Services Sgt. Miguel
Hernandez said his department responded to a report of a dead canine.

A sheriff’s deputy who was the first on the scene determined that the
dog — a male with tan fur — had been tossed over a fence and into a backyard
at the location. The Chihuahua was approximately 10 months to 18 months old.

"The dog was covered in blood and appeared to have large lacerations
on its head and chest that appeared to be inflicted with a sharp object,"
Hernandez said.

A witness reported that Ruiz bashed the dog against some sort of
object and was seen waving a knife, he said.

"Life is tough sometimes but … to cause such terrible harm to a
small, defenseless pet, to just snap — we all know this is not normal
behavior," Hernandez said. "I just hope I don’t have to see something like
this ever again."

Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.

CNS-05-09-2022 14:10