A man who flagged down a police officer and provided surveillance video that showed a German shepherd puppy being slammed to the ground and kicked in the face by her owner was lauded Wednesday with a “Courage Award” from Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Adalhi Montes, 33, of Long Beach, was honored for alerting police and posting the surveillance video online, which was aired many times on television and led to Alexander Cueva being identified and convicted in connection with the April 21 attack on the puppy, then named Inara.
Cueva, a 28-year-old Westminster resident, was sentenced in May to three years in state prison after pleading no contest to a felony animal cruelty charge. He was also ordered not to possess any animals for the next decade.
Also honored were:
— Jeané Castro, 46, of Long Beach, who was wounded in an April 22, 2022, shooting in Long Beach that left her friend dead. She testified against a defendant who was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder and subsequently sentenced to 75 years to life in state prison, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
— Buena Park residents Jose Mendez, 55, and his 57-year-old wife, Yrene, who intervened in a Sept. 27, 2023, attack on a 39-year-old woman in Long Beach and calling 911. Jose Mendez provided key testimony that resulted in the assailant being convicted of forcible rape and other charges and sentenced to 12 years and eight months in state prison, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
“These four remarkable people deserve the utmost appreciation and recognition for their acts of courage,” Hochman said in a statement. “These awards serve as a reminder to all of us that we can help others no matter how dire the situation.
“The Long Beach community is a safer and better place because of the exemplary actions of these honorees, and my office is deeply grateful to them.”
The awards — which were previously known as the Courageous Citizen Awards — were first presented in 1986 and are given to people who have performed extraordinary acts of valor and selflessness in aiding in criminal prosecutions, helping victims, testifying under duress, preventing crimes or even capturing suspects, according to the District Attorney’s Office.