Virginia Beach, Va. - A 22-year-old Virginia Beach man has been arrested after allegedly beating a dog so badly that it had to be euthanized.
Police say they received a report on Wednesday that a man had killed a neighbor's dog in the 700 block of Hampshire Lane.
Police and Animal Control officers arrived to find a 15-week-old Boxer puppy named Ace suffering from severe injuries.
Ace was transported to a local Emergency Veterinarian for treatment. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was euthanized.
Investigators determined that 22-year-old Dionisio Vicente Salazar, entered a nearby apartment and took the puppy.
Neighbors say they tried to get Salazar out of the apartment but they say he ran off fast with Ace in tow.
He was seen running into the street with the puppy and slamming him onto the asphalt.
Cedric Alston, Ace's owner, was not home at the time. But neighbors told him what happened.
"I thought it was a joke. I thought they were really joking. It was unreal," he says.
Salazar has been charged with breaking and entering with the intent to commit a felony, larceny of an animal, and cruelty to animals.
He is currently being held in the Virginia Beach Correctional Facility without bond.
Meanwhile, Cedric is heartbroken over the loss of his puppy.
"A puppy. I mean, I have not gotten any sleep. I can't eat. It's crazy," he says.
The case remains under investigation.
