Police Seek Suspects for Alleged Animal Cruelty During Residential Burglary

Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying two suspects who broke into a Fremont residence and injured the residents’ dog by feeding it shattered glass last Friday.

A resident of a house in the 40800 block of Amapola Drive called Fremont police at 1:30 p.m. to report a burglary and animal cruelty incident that had occurred at 9:45 a.m. and was filmed on the residence’s private video surveillance, police said. At least two suspects jumped the side fence into the backyard of the residence.

The suspects looked through windows and eventually shattered the locked sliding glass door with an unknown object, police said. They then entered the house and ransacked several rooms, stealing money and an estimated $2,000 worth of jewelry, according to police spokeswoman Geneva Bosques. In addition, the suspects allegedly served cookies to the family’s dog on top of the shattered glass.

The dog ate the food, which caused injuries to the dog’s tongue and caused its mouth to bleed. The dog is still under medical care but is expected to recover, according to Bosques.

Police describe the first suspect as a Hispanic man who is 18 to 25 years old, between 5 feet 8 and 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build, is about 170 to 185 pounds and has short dark hair and a distinctive goatee. The suspect was wearing a plain white T-shirt, tan cargo pants and black mechanic gloves during the burglary. A second suspect was also momentarily visible during the video footage, but not long enough for a description, police said.

Fremont police are asking anyone with information on the case or who may recognize the men to contact Detective Antonio Ceniceros at (510) 790-6900 or aceniceros@fremont.gov.

“We would really love for as many people as possible to view and share the video and information,” Bosques said. “We are grateful for any help in resolving this case.”

By Bay City News

Video courtesy Fremont Police via YouTube