Gardener Denies Sexually Abusing Dog
A Northridge gardener pleaded not guilty in Van Nuys Municipal Court on Monday to charges he sexually abused a German shepherd named Bubu.
Arturo Mathias, 46, returns to court Dec. 12 for further hearings in a case in which he has been charged with five counts of animal abuse and five counts of sexually assaulting an animal, Deputy City Atty. Don Cocek said.
According to Cocek, Mathias appeared every Monday at 9 a.m. at the Van Nuys apartment complex where Bubu, now about 18 months old, lived with his owner. The prosecutor declined to identify the owner, who told police a roommate’s mother told him in June that she had seen the gardener having sex with the dog.
The owner was disbelieving at first, but became suspicious when his roommate also said he had witnessed a sexual encounter between Bubu and the gardener.
Cocek said the owner witnessed the gardener’s sexual activity with the 100-pound male canine on five consecutive Mondays. On the advice of police, the owner videotaped a final incident, and a citizen’s arrest was made on Oct. 24.
After the encounters with Bubu, Cocek said, the gardener would resume working.
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