Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office Files Over 25 Cases Of Animal Cruelty

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced Tuesday that twenty-five cases of animal cruelty have been filed over the past six weeks, highlighting his commitment to holding offenders accountable and protecting the lives of vulnerable animals.

One case involves 28-year-old Esteban Garcia, who is accused of brutally abusing a 5 1/2-year-old bulldog named Adriana on April 7.

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, he allegedly dropped her on her head, kicked her, and then threw her into a stack of tires, leaving her to die.

“Let me be clear: If you harm an animal in our community, we are watching you — and we will find you,” LA County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement.

Of the 25 animal cruelty cases filed, 18 were classified as felonies, some of which included:

— Esteban Garcia, who was charged with one felony count of animal cruelty. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on April 16 and is scheduled to return to court on June 11 for a deposition hearing in Department J at the Norwalk Courthouse. If he is convicted as charged, Garcia could face up to three years in county jail;

— Joseph Melnyk, 50, was charged with two felony counts of injuring a girlfriend, one count of cruelty to an animal, and misdemeanor contempt of court. He pleaded guilty during his arraignment and had a preliminary hearing Tuesday in Department 41 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. On April 21, Melnyk allegedly threw his girlfriend’s 4-year-old terrier mix dog named Charlie off a balcony, causing the animal to hit the concrete and die. If convicted as charged, Melnyk could face up to seven years in State prison, plus 364 days in county jail on a misdemeanor offense.

— Marc Ibanez, 27, was charged with one felony count of cruelty to an animal. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment and has an early disposition hearing scheduled for Wednesday in Department J of the Norwalk Courthouse. On March 19, at approximately 11:24 a.m., surveillance video captured Ibanez allegedly dragging a 9-year-old German shepherd named Leo behind a truck near a business in the 97000 block of South Alburtus Avenue in Santa Fe Springs. The animal escaped moments later, with Ibanez holding what appeared to be a sharp object. The object was later recovered by law enforcement, described as a 13-inch grass sickle covered in dog hair. Ibanez sustained lacerations to the left side of his forehead and chest. If he is convicted as charged, he could face up to four years in state prison;

–Micheala Urquidi, 22, was charged with one felony count of cruelty to an animal. She pleaded not guilty during her arraignment and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Wednesday in Department G of the San Fernando Courthouse. On Aug. 3, Urquida allegedly strangled a 22-month-old American Bully named Chulas while pet sitting for the owner. If convicted as charged, she could face up to three years in county jail.

— Blaise Prymer, 23, was charged with one felony count of cruelty to an animal. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for next Tuesday in Department N of the Pomona Courthouse. On April 23, at approximately 2:50 a.m., allegedly attempted to hang the family dog, an older corgi/chihuahua mix named Hope, moments before using a crowbar to allegedly strike the dog on the head until she died. He told police that he had allegedly killed the dog because she was preventing him from sleeping. If convicted as charged, Prymmer could face up to three years in county jail;

— Emanuel Perdomo, 43, was charged with one felony count each of cruelty to an animal and arson. Perdomo pleaded not guilty during his arraignment and has a competency hearing scheduled for next Tuesday in Department 213 of the San Fernando Courthouse. On March 7, Perdomo allegedly carried a cat inside a cage to Dora Street moments before setting the animal on fire with a flammable liquid, burning the cat the death. Perdomo then dumped the body from the cage, kicked it, and took a close-up photo of the dead animal with his cell phone. If convicted as charged, he could face up to seven years and four months in state prison;

— Miguel Abadmunoz, 44, was charged with two counts of arson and one count of animal cruelty. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Friday in Department 38 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. On March 18, at approximately 10:05 a.m., Abadmunoz allegedly set a 10-year-old Siamese cat on fire on Dewey Avenue, moments before attempting to set an apartment building on fire. Officers located a butane torch in the defendant’s left pocket and noted that the cat was severely burned and struggling to breathe. The animal was ultimately euthanized due to its injuries. If convicted as charged, Abadmunos could face up to 13 years and eight months in state prison; and

— Auturo Morales, 55, was charged with one felony count of cruelty to an animal and four felony counts of possession of a bird or animal for fighting. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 21 in Department J of the Norwalk Courthouse. On March 29, at approximately 4:01 p.m., deputies located a shed set up in a backyard that was being used as a cockfighting ring that was covered in blood and feathers. Deputies recovered a bag containing dead roosters during the investigation, one of which had a razor blade attached to its claws. Multiple cages were found at the property label with names of the birds and weights, lacking food or water. Investigators also discovered a refrigerator with hematopoietic stimulant. If convicted as charged, Morales could face up to three years in county jail.

“I want to personally thank Deputy District Attorney and Animal Cruelty Coordinator Kimberly Abourek and our outstanding legal team for their unwavering dedication. Their work reinforces that our office stands firm between abusers and the animals they harm,” Hochman said.

Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton of the Los Angeles Police Department said, “The LAPD consistently pursues animal cruelty cases with integrity and intensity, many of which do not receive media attention.”

Despite the loss of our Animal Cruelty Task Force in early 2021, we take animal cruelty investigations seriously, and we investigate these cases in a manner that leads to the successful arrests and prosecutions of the alleged suspects. We continue to provide training to our personnel in understanding the complexity of such investigations to ensure successful District and City Attorney filings,” he added.

Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish stated that “this type of cruelty has no place in our community” and commended the detectives and officers involved for their outstanding work in swiftly identifying and arresting the suspects. “We remain committed to ensuring those who harm others — especially the most vulnerable — are held accountable,” he added.

“Our Department is working closely with Los Angeles County Animal Control, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, and community partners to ensure all cases of animal cruelty are fully investigated and prosecuted,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. “We will not tolerate the abuse of defenseless animals and if you witness or suspect cruelty, report it to local law enforcement immediately.”