Teen Charged in Firecracker Attack on Dog
A Los Angeles teenager has been charged with illegally possessing explosive devices and igniting a powerful firecracker that blew off part of a dog’s jaw.
Gil Raul Delara, 19, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 12 felony counts, according to Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Delara is accused of 11 counts of recklessly possessing a destructive device and explosive in public and one count of animal cruelty.
He was in County Jail in lieu of a $500,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in Compton Superior Court on Jan. 9.
The dog was taken to a veterinary hospital where he was euthanized, according to Officer Jack Richter, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Richter said the dog, which appeared to be a German shepherd, lost its lower jaw in the explosion. He said bomb squad officers responding to a call from a citizen found the animal tied to a stake in an alley in the 10400 block of Hickory Street on Dec. 30.
“How can anybody be so cruel?” Richter said.
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