MEAD VALLEY, CA — A Riverside County man was arrested this week following a lengthy investigation into animal cruelty allegations.
Lorenzo Angelo Gutierrez, 36, was picked up by Riverside County Department of Animal Services officers at 9:20 a.m. Tuesday in the unincorporated community of Mead Valley, according to jail records.
He was booked into Southwest Detention Center on suspicion of animal cruelty and was being held in lieu of $10,000 bail, the records show.
In a released statement, RCDAS reported Gutierrez will be formally charged with two counts of animal cruelty. The charges were not yet appearing in online court records as of Wednesday afternoon.
The cruelty investigation stems back to December when a good Samaritan contacted RCDAS about multiple emaciated dogs with no food or water in the 21400 block of Salter Road in Mead Valley, RCDAS reported.
At the property RCDAS officers found a puppy that was attacked by other dogs and left for multiple days without care; another dog had been hit by a vehicle and was left untreated for over six weeks, according to the agency.
Additionally, the Mead Valley property exceeded the legal limit of dogs allowed without a kennel permit, prompting RCDAS to issue a citation.
A total of 15 dogs at the property were eventually relinquished, RCDAS reported.
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Mead Valley is an unincorporated community located just north of Perris.
“We are committed to pursuing animal cruelty cases whenever and wherever they occur in Riverside County,” RCDAS Director Erin Gettis said in a released statement. “Pet owners have an obligation to provide safe and healthy environments for the animals in their care.”
RCDAS Commander Josh Sisler thanked the good Samaritan for stepping up for the dogs and encouraged others to do the same if they see an abuse or neglect situation.
“We are grateful to the individual who alerted us to this case and encourage all residents to reach out to Animal Services with concerns about the welfare and neglect of animals in Riverside County,” he said.
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