Man allegedly caught on camera beating dog to death

PEORIA, Ariz. — A Peoria couple is heartbroken and livid after they said video shows their chihuahua getting beaten to death by one of their own neighbors.

“I get upset every time I see that video,” said Isaac Zuniga. “I get really mad.”

Video circulating of an animal cruelty incident is being investigated, and charges are pending, according to officials with the Peoria Police Department.  

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The incident happened on Friday near Peoria and 87th avenues. Zuniga and his partner, Brianna Camacho, said they came home from getting dinner when they got a call from a neighbor who told them that they saw another neighbor toss their beloved dog over his fence. When the couple walked a few houses down, they could see their dog on the ground. Zuniga said the six-pound dog’s eyes were bulged and his head was covered in blood. After about 30 minutes, they said he died in their arms.

“It was sad, it was so many emotions at once,” Camacho said. “He was our best friend, he was our protector.”

Video taken from a car’s dash cam shows the neighbor, who hasn’t been identified by police, running with a shovel in his hand and starting to swing it at the ground three times. A few seconds pass before the video appears to show the neighbor scoop the dog up with the shovel and toss it over the fence.

On Sunday afternoon, Peoria police told 12News that responding officers did not have access to video of the incident on the night of the initial call. The video was not obtained by law enforcement until the following afternoon after it was provided to a “local news outlet,” police said.

Peoria police said no arrest has been made and the subject involved in the incident claimed he intended to “smack the dog on the butt” but the dog turned unexpectedly and was struck in the head, police said.

The subject also told police he was acting in self-defense to protect his cat and chickens from the six-pound chihuahua.

“I don’t believe it after seeing the video,” Zuniga said.

“A story about him trying to hit our dog in the butt just doesn’t make sense,” Camacho said. “He was going straight for the kill.”

“The video footage is being closely reviewed to evaluate these claims and assess the totality of the circumstances,” police said. “As always, if further investigation is deemed necessary, we will continue to pursue every available lead to seek justice for the victims involved.”

The couple said they trust in Peoria police to carry out this case, believing it is truly the only way for them to get justice.

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