Crime & Safety

RWC Man Arrested for Abusing, Killing Dog While Child Looked On

The suspect, 31-year-old Alan Velete allegedly abused his family's terrier-mix puppy in front of his 4-year-old daughter.

Redwood City police officers arrested a man on Thursday for allegedly abusing his girlfriend's four-month old terrier puppy, eventually killing the dog. The girlfriend's daughter witnessed the abuse, which added a charge of willful cruelty to a child. 

According to Lt. Sean Hart of the Redwood Police Dept., on Thursday morning, an officer responded to a call from an apartment in the 300 block of Redwood Avenue to investigate a report of animal cruelty. The officer learned the suspect, Alan Velete, 31, of Redwood City, had been staying at the apartment during the past month with his girlfriend, their 4-year-old daughter, and his girlfriend’s mother. 

The reporting party said Velete had been physically abusing the family’s 4-month old-terrier mix puppy. The investigation revealed the suspect had severely abused the dog over the past month and killed the dog on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Police say he disposed of the dog's body in a trash Dumpster. 

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The investigation also revealed that Velete's daughter witnessed several of the acts of abuse the dog suffered. 

Velete was arrested at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the 2200 block of Middlefield Road. He was booked into the San Mateo County Jail for felony animal cruelty and felony child endangerment. 

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This is an on-going investigation and anyone with information regarding the suspect or the abuse the dog suffered is asked to contact Detective Steve Barker at 650-780-7669.


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