Homeowner seeks justice after suspect trespasses, strangles dog

SAN JUAN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A dog owner is seeking justice after an unidentified person trespassed onto her front yard and strangled her dog.

San Juan resident Brenda Gonzalez believed her 11-year-old pug, Max, ran away from home and went missing until she checked her home security footage.

Gonzalez was out of town when the incident happened. A family member who was house sitting describes the man in the video as tall and skinny.

Surveillance video shows the events that led up to Max's disappearance Saturday night.

"He jumped the neighbors gate and came into our house and he just choked him,” said Samantha Sanchez, a family member.

Yaqui Animal Rescue uploaded the footage to their social media in hopes of locating the suspect and bringing justice to Max and the Gonzalez family.

"I've seen a lot of things, but this one took me aback," said Becca Chavez, Director of Development with Yaqui.

The video shows a man approach Gonzalez's residence and interact with the dog.

"You can see the man approach the fence, kneel down to talk to the dog and he hits the dog. It looks like he hits the dog with an object," Chavez said.

The man can later be seen climbing over the fence and slowly approaching the dog.

He then starts strangling the dog for approximately 70 seconds, grabs the pug and climbs back over the fence to escape the area.

Gonzalez presumes the suspect took Max because she could not find him anywhere.

"We need San Juan to find this guy. We need our community to know what's going on because if he'll hurt a dog, he'll hurt a human," Chavez said.

The San Juan Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division is investigating this case and speaking with neighbors for leads regarding the man's whereabouts.

"We acknowledge the community's concerns, have expedited the case, and assigned it priority one status," San Juan Chief of Police Leandro Sifuentes said. "We will ensure that all necessary steps are taken to investigate the matter thoroughly."

The video obtained by ValleyCentral is courtesy of Brenda Gonzalez.