Puppy intentionally struck by car
El Paso, TX (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Jan 14, 2006
County: El Paso
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Acquitted
Person of Interest: Refugio Hernandez
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Advocates said Refugio Hernandez was probably not aware that running over a dog is a serious crime in Texas. "The guy was very upset and he was being very nasty with the kids and he got in the car, put it in reverse and intentionally killed the dog when it was trying to get back up," said animal advocate, Jessie Miller.
The incident happened Jan. 14 in Northeast El Paso when a group of children were playing with their new puppy. Miller said the puppy accidentally got out of the yard and ran for the street. She said the kids began to chase the puppy, worried he would be runover. Most vehicles stopped Miller said, except for the one Hernandez was driving. She said he hit the dog, put his vehicle in reverse and ran over the dog again.
Miller said , "the kids were crying and screaming and the mother had to come and scoop the puppy up into her arms and pull him off the street."
Thanks to another driver who wrote down the license plate, they were able to track Hernandez down, said Miller. He was arrested and charged with animal cruelty, a felony crime in Texas.
Case Updates| A man accused of running over a dog on purpose was found not guilty Oct 2 evening by a jury in 346th District Court, officials said. Refugio Hernandez faced an animal-cruelty charge in the death of a brown and white pit bull on Jan. 13, 2006. He said that the incident was an accident. | Source: El Paso Times - Oct 4, 2007
Update posted on Oct 9, 2007 - 2:09AM |
Hernandez reportedly faces felony charges stemming from his alleged acts, and his prosecutor will be a staff member of the District Attorney's Office for Texas' surrounding 34th Judicial District, led by the Honorable Jaime Esparza.
Please respectfully remind Esparza that the wild and vicious contempt for life and suffering evidenced by intentionally running over a defenseless animal may-if ignored or minimized by the criminal justice system-threaten the community's safety and, regardless, demands an appropriate judicial response.
Suggest that justice for Hernandez, if convicted, would begin with meaningful and effective stays both behind bars and in the care of appropriate mental health professionals and a lengthy-if not permanent-restriction on his ownership and possession of animals. Kindly ask Esparza to pursue Hernandez's conviction and these penalties.
Remember, impolite correspondence works against our efforts.
The Honorable Jaime Esparza
District Attorney, 34th Judicial District
500 E. San Antonio, 2nd Fl.
El Paso, TX 79901
915-533-5520 (fax) | Source: HelpingAnimals.Com
Update posted on Jul 13, 2006 - 1:32PM |
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