Dog shot to death with arrows
Arvada, CO (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, Dec 4, 2008
County: Jefferson

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Zackary Scott Ruszka

A man accused of killing his girlfriend's small dog by firing three arrows into its body was charged today with aggravated animal cruelty, a felony under Colorado law.

Zackary Scott Ruszka, 20, appeared in Jefferson County Court today where he was advised of the cruelty charge.

Last Thursday, Arvada police were called to a home in the 6900 block of Otis Street on reports that the house had been ransacked and a dog killed during the rampage.

The man making the report, according to court records, was Alex Duran, 21. Duran lived at the home with Ruszka; Ruszka's girlfriend, Regina Libeu; and Libeu's parents, Jeanette and Dave Pranzo.

The Pranzos and their daughter had gone to California on a family emergency, leaving the home in the care of Ruszka and Duran.

Arvada officer Kristin Harris said Duran told her Ruszka had been drinking large amounts of whiskey during the day and Duran left to visit a friend.

When he returned, he noticed blood in the garage and saw Blaze, a small black terrier, dead on the garage floor with two or three arrows in its body.

After seeing the dog and noticing that the house had been ransacked, Duran retreated and called police to report a burglary.

Officers met Duran at a nearby school.

They then went to the home with a K-9 unit.

On entering the garage, Harris said, she saw dried red liquid on the floor and a dog collar with red liquid on it.

She then saw the small terrier with arrows in its body.

Inside the home, police found that someone had "destroyed" the living room, she said. The furniture had been smashed. A guitar and door also were destroyed, said Harris.

Officers said Ruszka owns a bow and arrows.

Ruszka is being held at the Jefferson County Detention Center on $5,000 bond. His next court appearance has not been set.

References

• - Dec 10, 2008

« Back to Search Results
« CO State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Jefferson County, CO

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.