A man has been arrested for allegedly dumping a caged 2-month-old puppy in a box over a fence and into the Tujunga Wash in an animal cruelty case caught on camera.
Daniel Arias, 25, from Tujunga he was arrested on Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. He was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and was being held in lieu of $20,000 bond, according to police and jail records.
A video surfaced late last month showing someone getting out of a Chevy Tahoe near Renaissance Drive and Cardamine Court, opening the back door of the SUV, and throw the cage with a puppy inside over a fence.
Police are looking for a man who dumped a puppy in a canal in Tujunga. The event was captured on video.
The man left the scene but a witness rushed to help the puppy.
“When I first saw the puppy, I didn’t even think. I just jumped over the fence, went down the canal. I slipped. I didn’t even care; I wanted just save the dog,” a man who asked to be identified only as Amir told sister station NBC4.
The little dog was wet and shaking. Amir said he got stuck in the channel, but two other men formed a human chain and helped him out.
After the video became public, police attended the scene and spoke to a resident who said he had gone to the canal to retrieve the pup. Initially, he only found the empty box, but then found the injured animal.
The approximately 2-month-old pup was in the care of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services, police said. Vets who examined the animal said the pup was likely injured in the fall, but police said the animal should recover and be put up for adoption.
“Detectives investigating the case successfully followed leads and gathered valuable information from the public,” according to the LAPD. “With the help of the community, they have identified the suspect.”
Arias was arrested at his home without incident, police said.
Authorities are asking anyone with additional information to contact the LAPD Foothill Division at 818-834-3115. Individuals who choose to remain anonymous may contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.