Dog killed, throat slit
Novato, CA (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Jun 12, 2007
County: Marin

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Dismissed

Person of Interest: Frank Garduno

Case Updates: 5 update(s) available

A Novato family is grieving the loss of its 10-month-old Chihuahua, Mimi, found in a pasture with its throat cut, apparently tossed over the fence.

Frank Garduno, 49, was charged June 13, 2007 in Marin Superior Court with cruelty to animals and preventing or dissuading a witness from reporting a crime.

Mimi wandered over to Garduno's house on Kenwood Court before disappearing.

"She used to sleep with me," 6-year-old Charlyse Bicknell said of her beloved dog. "We miss her so much. I wish she was still alive."

"We loved that little dog. She was part of the family," said Charlyse's mother, Barbara Bicknell. "This is a quiet little cul-de-sac. I would never dream someone could do such a horrific act on a little dog."

Bicknell, a resident of Kenwood Court for about seven months, said a relative staying at her house damaged Garduno's mailbox a couple of doors down late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. She said she promised to fix it as soon as possible.

"He came to our house, berated us and was abusive - then he called the police," Bicknell said. "The police told him to leave us alone. The same day, he came over with a gift and a card asking for forgiveness because he had harassed us and yelled at us."

On June 12 afternoon, Bicknell said she and her two 6-year-olds were playing with a blow-up pool on the driveway when Garduno came home.

"He was with one of his daughters and was yelling at her, then he started yelling at us," Bicknell said.

She saw the dog walk up Garduno's pathway to his front door, and she ran to her house to get a leash. Bicknell said that when she returned, she went to talk with Garduno, but he told her the dog was not there.

"I asked, 'Are you sure she did not get into your house, because I saw her walk up your pathway.' He said no," Bicknell said. "The trees became still. The air was still. I just knew immediately that something tragic happened."

Bicknell then drove to a home on a nearby street to search a yard behind Garduno's house; she found the dog's body a few feet from the fence and called police again.

Novato police Lt. Jennifer Tejada said Garduno "did in fact have the dog in his residence and evidence collected at the scene led us to believe there was probable cause to arrest him for cruelty to animals. The knife wound was to the right side of the dog's neck, approximately one inch in length."

Cindy Machado, the Marin Humane Society animal services director, said there is evidence the dog "suffered incredibly," and her agency is "conducting a very intensive investigation that will determine how the dog died and who is responsible."

Bicknell filed a restraining order against Garduno on June 13, and the family is considering moving.

"Part of my healing is to make sure he gets prosecuted to the fullest," Bicknell said. "I do not want my children thinking people can get away with something like that."

But neighbor Stacy Sampson expressed surprise at the situation, saying Garduno has lived there about 10 years.

"They are an upstanding family. They have well-adjusted kids," Sampson said. "I was very shocked. I couldn't believe it."

A woman who answered the door at Garduno's house said she did not have time to talk.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Barry Borden said Garduno could face up to three years in state prison or a fine of up to $20,000 or both.

Case Updates

References

• - June 19, 2007

« CA State Animal Cruelty Map

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.