Local News in Brief : Animal Cruelty Charges Dropped
The former manager of a Torrance pet shop has been cleared on 53 charges of animal cruelty and improper pet shop operation.
All charges against Raymond A. Charpentier of Torrance were dropped in South Bay Municipal Court with the agreement of the district attorney’s office.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Amy-Hannah Kraus said “justice was served” last month when the owner of the Docktor Pet Center, Richard Rosenthal, was convicted on 12 charges of animal cruelty and improper pet shop operation.
The case against the Del Amo Fashion Center store began in 1986, when investigators for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said that animals were crammed into small cages and that sick creatures were poorly cared for.
At least 35 customers complained that animals from the store were diseased.
In exchange for dismissal of the charges, Charpentier agreed in court that police had probable cause to arrest him on the charges. The agreement prevents Charpentier from later filing a lawsuit for wrongful arrest, said his lawyer, James Artiano.
Charpentier left the pet store and now works in a warehouse, Artiano said.
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