Baldwin Park man pleads not guilty in beating death of his poodle
A Baldwin Park man pleaded not guilty to accusations that he beat his miniature poodle to death, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Jason Arnold Vaca, 34, made his plea Tuesday during his arraignment in a West Covina courtroom on one felony count of animal cruelty, said district attorney spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani.
Vaca was arrested March 18 after police found lifeless body of his pet poodle, Butter, in his backyard, authorities said.
Around 1 a.m. that morning, Baldwin Park police received a 911 call reporting sounds of a dog in distress and a man yelling, said Lt. Chris Hofford of the Baldwin Park Police Department.
Police arrived at the house and found Vaca out front with bloodied clothes and wounds on his hands that appeared to have been bite marks, Hofford said.
They said they also saw blood smeared on a front wall, a fence, trash can, and on a car parked in the driveway.
Vaca, who Hofford said appeared to be intoxicated, allegedly told officers the dog had run away.
Police said they later found the dog’s carcass in the backyard.
Authorities say Vaca became enraged at the dog, and began flinging it repeatedly against the walls.
“It is pretty grisly,” Hofford said of the crime scene photos.
Vaca, who is free on $20,000 bail, faces up to three years in state prison. He is scheduled to appear April 23 for a pretrial hearing.
Twitter: @cmaiduc
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