Animal Abuse: Dog beaten to death, dumped in trash - Agoura Hills, CA

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Case ID: 16716

Classification: Beating

Animal: dog (non pit-bull)

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Attorneys/Judges

Prosecutor(s):

Bill Tenzin

Dog beaten to death, dumped in trash
Agoura Hills, CA (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, Apr 1, 2010
County: Los Angeles

Disposition: Acquitted

Person of Interest: Rommel Marzan

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

A municipal water district engineer was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty after he killed the dog of an Agoura Hills woman he used to date and dumped the small Maltese in a West Hills trash bin, investigators said Friday.

Rommel Marzan, 44, was arrested Tuesday after investigators deemed his story that he had fallen on the small dog as less than credible and a veterinarian determined the animal died from blunt head trauma, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Det. Steve Colitti.

Marzan works for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District.

After the woman went home and found her dog missing, she received a call from Marzan, who told her he had accidentally killed it, Colitti said.

"He told her he had fallen on the dog and then panicked and dumped the dog," Colitti said.

The woman immediately called sheriff's deputies, who contacted Marzan. He told deputies the same story -- that he had accidentally fallen on the dog and killed it and dumped it in a San Fernando Valley trash bin in a panic, Colitti said. Skeptical deputies "felt he was not being forthcoming," Colitti said

Marzan later acknowledged that he "may have stepped on the dog," Colitti said.

The Maltese was retrieved from the dumpster, and a veterinarian determined the dog had died from blunt force trauma to the head.

Marzan was released in lieu of $50,000 bail. A supervisor at the Las Virgenes water district said Marzan has been placed on leave.

Case Updates

A man accused of killing a former girlfriend's dog and dumping the small Maltese in a West Hills trash bin was found not guilty Thursday.

Rommel Marzan, 44, was charged with a single felony count of cruelty to an animal. In a Malibu courtroom, the jury returned a not-guilty verdict after less than one hour of deliberations, following an eight-day trial of a case that was "emotionally charged," said defense attorney Michael A. Goldstein.

Marzan was arrested in April 2010 after investigators deemed that his story that he had fallen on the small dog was not credible and a veterinarian determined that the animal had died from blunt head trauma, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Det. Steve Colitti said at the time.

"He told [the dog's owner] he had fallen on the dog and then panicked and dumped the dog," Colitti said.

At the time, Marzan, who was placed on leave as an engineer for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, was released on $50,000 bail.

Source: latimes.com - Mar 22, 2012
Update posted on Mar 23, 2012 - 6:42PM

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A former employee of Las Virgenes Municipal Water District who was arrested in April for killing a small dog belonging to a female friend will go to court soon.

Woodland Hills resident Rommel Marzan, 44, is charged with animal cruelty after allegedly killing Buttons, a 7-pound Maltese owned by Dorna McKee of Agoura Hills in April.

McKee said Marzan used a hammer to kill her dog.

According to Los Angeles County Dep. District Attorney Bill Tenzin, the case was continued to Nov. 10, at which time a judge will determine whether a jury trial is warranted.

Tenzin said Marzan admitted to killing the dog, but called the act an accident. If convicted of animal cruelty, he could be sentenced to a year in jail.

McKee, who met Marzan through mutual friends, said she would occasionally watch television or go out to dinner with Marzan. She described the relationship as "casual, nothing serious." McKee said she considered the younger man to be a friend only.

"The dog loved everyone, but she didn't like him," said McKee, 67. And apparently Marzan didn't like the dog.

McKee said the man came to her home on April 4 to watch television. When Marzan stepped into the bathroom she found Buttons on her back in the hallway unable to move. Marzan claimed that dog had gotten hurt when it accidentally got caught in the bathroom door. But a trip to the veterinarian confirmed that Buttons had been abused and suffered from a bruised liver.

"She couldn't urinate, she stopped eating," said McKee, who nursed the dog back to health.

Within days of Buttons coming home from the hospital, Marzan called to ask if McKee would go out with him. "The next day he came and killed (Buttons) while I wasn't home," McKee said.

Marzan allegedly gained entry into McKee's home by telling her roommate�"who had just returned from a business trip and didn't know what had happened to Buttons�"that McKee was expecting him to be there when she returned from work.

McKee said her roommate found Marzan in the kitchen washing blood off his hands. He reportedly admitted killing the dog.

Upon his arrest, Marzan led deputies from the Lost Hills Sheriff's Station to a trash bin in West Hills where the dog's body was dumped.

Tenzin said that he didn't know how the court would treat Marzan since he had no prior criminal record.

"It's tough to know what they will do with this guy," he said. "It might be a blip on the mental radar, or (Marzan) might be really troubled."

After an internal investigation, Marzan was fired from his job at the water district. McKee said Marzan is being supervised by his parents.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) spokesperson Martin Mersereau wrote to prosecutors handling the case and requested that they "throw the book" at Marzan if he's convicted.

Mersereau said he doesn't believe that Marzan's psychological state should be considered in the sentencing.

"I won't give him that excuse. . . . It was a meticulous act of cruelty," said the animal rights activist.

Source: The Acorn - Oct 28, 2010
Update posted on Oct 28, 2010 - 1:23PM

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Dog beaten to death, dumped in trashAgoura Hills, CA (US)

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Dog beaten to death, dumped in trash
Agoura Hills, CA (US)