Suspect In Animal Abuse Video Arrested, Dog Rescued In Long Beach: PD

LONG BEACH, CA — A man suspected of kicking and body-slamming a dog Monday in an act of animal cruelty caught by a security camera in Long Beach has been arrested, according to police.

Footage of the attack quickly went viral amid widespread calls to identify the man and rescue the dog.

On Wednesday, the Long Beach Police Department announced that detectives had identified 28-year-old Long Beach resident Alexander Cuevas as the person responsible for the animal abuse caught on camera in the 200 block of E. 12th Street. The dog was also rescued and taken in by Long Beach Animal Care Services.

Cuevas was taken into custody on suspicion of intentional cruelty to an animal and for an outstanding no-bail warrant, police said.

“This type of cruelty has no place in our community,” Long Beach Police Department Chief Wally Hebeish said in a statement thanking people for reporting the attack. "We remain committed to ensuring those who harm others—especially the most vulnerable—are held accountable."

The violent attack happened around 5:36 a.m. In the graphic video captured on a nearby security camera, a man walks into the frame with the slack dog hanging over his shoulder. Only after he slams it to the ground does the dog appear alive, offering slight resistance before the man kicks it and continues on, hanging the dog over his shoulder again by the leash as he walks away.

The disturbing video was widely shared along with calls for help identifying the suspect and saving the animal from further abuse. It also prompted the animal rights non-profit PETA to offer a $5k reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest and conviction, along with the rescue of the dog.

“This dog was violently attacked—and who knows what other abuse has not been caught on camera,” PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange said in a statement Monday.

It's not yet clear what type of charges the suspect is facing for the attack.