Teen robbery suspects steal small dog and throw it into traffic, Texas police say
Three teens arrested for a string of robberies in October have been charged with animal cruelty, accused of throwing a little dog into oncoming traffic the same night, El Paso police said in a news release.
Police arrested 17-year-old Jorge Rangel, 19-year-old Edwin Rodriguez and 17-year-old Bianca Salazar and booked them into the El Paso County Detention on facility on animal cruelty charges, authorities said. They did not say if the dog survived.
On Oct. 12, “the teens allegedly robbed the 7-Eleven store” in Central El Paso, according to KTSM.
The same night, at about 3:45 a.m., authorities said the teens were riding in a vehicle driven by Rangel, at the 4700 block of Titanic Street. The teens “previously picked up a small stray dog, with intention to harm the canine,” police said.
“Rodriguez handed the dog to Rangel as he drove the vehicle at a high rate of speed,” and Rangel “threw the dog out the open driver’s side window into oncoming traffic,” police said.
The three suspects were booked on $3,000 bond each.
Police said their animal cruelty unit “has reason to believe the canine had an owner due to its friendly disposition and is asking the public to contact the ACIU hotline at 915-212-0800 with any information regarding the owner.
