A 21-year-old man was arrested after admitting to hanging a puppy from a tree, according to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office released a statement Friday announcing that a concerned citizen contacted the agency Wednesday to report that he had seen a video on Facebook of a man torturing a dog.
The video reportedly showed the man hanging a small puppy by its neck from a tree.
After sheriff’s investigators viewed the video, they were able to find where the video was made. Deputies then met with Claudio Gomez, 21, who admitted to hanging the puppy — which did not belong to him — out of boredom, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies placed Gomez under arrest and transported him to the county jail, where he was charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals.
Gomez was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Gilberto Saenz, who issued the man a $10,000 cash surety bond.
“The Sheriff’s Office is committed to holding accountable individuals who would mistreat or torture the innocent,” the sheriff’s office stated. “We would like to thank the concerned citizen for making us aware of the incident and would like to encourage Hidalgo County residents to report suspicious activity or any crime being committed.”
Anyone with information regarding crimes or suspicious activities is encouraged to call the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at (956) 383-8114. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers hotline at (956) 668-TIPS (8477).
