A Westminster man accused of slamming his young dog to the ground by her leash, then kicking and dragging her away outside a Long Beach apartment building pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a felony animal cruelty charge.
Alexander Cueva, 28, also faces a special allegation of personal use of a deadly and dangerous weapon, which authorities said was the dog’s leash. He is due back in court in Long Beach May 7.
Security camera video from Jan. 21 showed the German shepherd mix being hoisted by the neck with a leash and slammed to the ground. The dog, about 6 to 8 months old, was then kicked in the face and dragged in the attack outside an apartment in the 200 block of East 12 Street near Anaheim Street.
A $5,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case after the security video was widely shared on social media.
Long Beach police said detectives located Cueva April 22 in the 800 block of Pine Avenue and took him into custody. Details about what led to the arrest were not immediately available.
Cueva has remained jailed since his arrest. It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
The dog, now named Rue, was being cared for by Long Beach Animal Care Services, which posted an update Monday on her recovery. Video showed Rue, placed in a foster home, playing with chew toys and rolling on her back.
“It’s the pupdate you’ve all been waiting for! One week after the viral video of animal abuse surfaced and @longbeachpd.ca brought the pup into our care, we are happy to report that she is ‘home’ from the hospital and thriving in foster care,” the agency said. “Her foster family named her ‘Rue’ and she is receiving training, lots of love & rest, and plenty of toys! Please note: the investigation is on-going and she is still not available for adoption at this time.”
When the charge was announced last week, the LA County prosecutor’s office called the abuse “calculated violence.”
“To see this level of calculated violence inflicted on a helpless animal is deeply troubling,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Hochman said. “This is the second felony animal cruelty case we’ve filed this week, and we will not hesitate to bring charges when we see this kind of inexcusable criminal behavior.”
In the other case, a 40-year-old man pleaded not guilty April 18 to a felony count of animal cruelty after he was allegedly caught on video beating his American micro bully with a metal chain leash at a downtown Los Angeles apartment building.
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