The dog Flick was tortured to death.
Paul Garcia, 39, is charged with cruelty to animals after a police officer in Imperial, Missouri, found a dead dog with its muzzle and paws taped shut and abandoned on the side of the road in freezing temperatures.
This dog, named Flick, is a 13-year-old dachshund.
Garcia is accused of leaving the dog outside for about 12 hours when the temperature dropped to -7C.
After being discovered, the police took the animal to the clinic, and the veterinarian was shocked to find that its body temperature was three times lower than normal.
Police arrested Garcia after his fingerprints matched those found on the tape used to tie up the animal.
Garcia claimed he kidnapped the dog because he thought authorities were monitoring his every move. He said he “panicked” when he saw the dog approach the truck where he was installing a speaker system.
Paul Garcia was arrested for animal cruelty.
Garcia was arrested last February for animal cruelty and faces further charges of possession of a handgun after being convicted in September 2018.
After the dog was taken to the veterinarian, a photo appeared on social media, appealing for information about the animal. Katie Kofron later came forward claiming to be the dog’s owner and stating that the animal had been kidnapped from her backyard.
She provided medical records matching those of the dog that was found. Kofron told police she thought Flick had been kidnapped because it never left the yard.
The Riverfront Times reported that Garcia was not legally permitted to carry a gun due to previous convictions, including the abuse of at least three women and trespassing. He had also previously been convicted of possessing a chemical with the intent to create another prohibited substance.
