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Police chief: San Juan man confesses to strangling, dumping dog’s body

Police chief: San Juan man confesses to strangling, dumping dog’s body
8 months 2 days 17 hours ago Friday, April 19 2024 Apr 19, 2024 April 19, 2024 8:30 PM April 19, 2024 in News - Local

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story may be disturbing to viewers. 

A 21-year-old man charged with animal cruelty confessed to strangling the dog he’s accused of attacking and dumping its body in a trash can, according to San Juan Police Chief Leandro Sifuentes.

Jacob Luna was charged Friday with cruelty to non-livestock animals, theft of property, criminal trespassing and tampering with evidence in connection with the investigation.

Luna was arrested Thursday after the San Juan Police Department received a report of animal cruelty.

According to Sifuentes, the dog had been missing since Saturday, April 13, and the owner of the missing dog reviewed her home surveillance footage and showed it to police.

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“The video shows an individual unlawfully entering her property, aggressively handling the dog in a manner that suggested harm, and then removing the animal from the premises,” a Thursday news release stated.

The surveillance footage had been circulating on social media since the incident was reported to police.

Luna was identified as the suspect in the surveillance video through “investigative work and community tips,” the release added.

According to Sifuentes, Luna confessed to strangling the dog and dumping the body in a trash can near his residence. By the time Luna confessed to the crime, a garbage truck had already collected the trash in the area, Sifuentes added. 

A motive was not available, Sifuentes said, adding there was no connection between Luna and the dog’s owner.

Bond for Luna was set at $104,000. Hidalgo County jail records show he bonded out of jail on Saturday.  

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