Man charged with killing drowned dog on Copacabana beach
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro indicted a 47-year-old man, identified as Thiago Mattos Rocha, for animal abuse resulting in death after concluding that he was responsible for drowning his own dog on Copacabana beach, in the South Zone of the capital of Rio de Janeiro.
The case happened on the night of April 23rd. The animal, an American Bully breed, was found dead on the sand by bathers. At the time, the dog showed no apparent signs of aggression and was still on a collar.
According to the investigation by the 12th DP (Copacabana), images from security cameras showed the owner leaving the house with the dog and walking to the beach. The recordings record the pair entering the sand at around 7:53 pm. About five minutes later, the man appears returning alone.
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Although the moment of the drowning was not captured on camera, the Civil Police states that the images, witness statements and other evidence gathered during the investigation indicate that the animal was killed by drowning.
On the way home, the man was filmed walking the same route without his dog. Just over an hour later, he left the apartment with suitcases, according to the images analyzed by investigators.
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Meanwhile, employees from Comlurb (Companhia Municipal de Limpeza Urbana) reported seeing people trying to revive the animal on the beach. One of the street cleaners stated that tourists were giving cardiac massage to the dog, which appeared to have drowned and showed no signs of violence.
The police reported that the person being investigated was not located to give a statement, as he had left the property where he lived in Copacabana.
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He was charged with animal abuse resulting in death, a crime provided for in article 32 of the Environmental Crimes Law. The penalty is two to five years in prison, with an increase of one-sixth to one-third when the animal dies.
Source: CNN