Fire Authority Employee Admits Guilt In Pit Bull's Shooting Death

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — An Orange County Fire Authority heavy equipment operator admitted to shooting his 4-year-old pit bull and dumping the canine's carcass in a trash bin at his workplace in Irvine. He accepted a plea Wednesday that ordered him to perform 250 hours of community service.

Ryan John Monteleone of Menifee, 45, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of putting a carcass of a dead animal on the road. As part of the plea deal, a felony count of cruelty to animals was dismissed.

Monteleone worked for the fire authority for four years though was not a firefighter, Colleen Windsor, a spokeswoman for the OCFA. He was working fort he fire authority when he was charged in November 2019.

Monteleone remained on duty at that time, but it was not clear if he is still on the job.

He was arrested by Irvine police on Oct. 17, 2019, according to Kimberly Edds of the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

A Waste Management trash truck driver found the dog's body inside the trash bin at a fire station on Fossil Road in Irvine on Aug. 9, 2019, Edds said. The dog had been shot in the head, she said.

Monteleone could have faced up to 3½ years in custody if convicted at trial.