A Riverside man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after slitting a dog’s throat and posting videos of the wounded animal on social media earlier this year, authorities announced Monday.
Angel Ramos-Corrales had pleaded guilty to a felony count of animal crushing on June 3.
The charge stemmed from a Feb. 13 incident when Ramos-Corrales assaulted his pet dog “Canelo” by inflicting severe injuries to the puppy’s head and torso and causing skull and rib fractures, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
“The dog’s injuries caused it to continuously fall headfirst, and Ramos-Corrales recorded a video of the injured puppy and posted it on his Instagram account,” officials said in a news release.
That same day, Ramos-Corrales slit the dog’s throat by nearly two inches, causing the dog to bleed significantly and lapse into unconsciousness.
Then, while Canelo was lying on the bathroom floor, Ramos-Corrales again recorded video of the puppy and posted it on his Snapchat.
In the video, Ramos-Corrales said things like “I’m cold-hearted,” then intentionally kicked the dog, which was still alive, officials said.
Law enforcement officers eventually arrived at Ramos-Corrales home and the Riverside County Department of Animal Services took custody of the puppy. A veterinarian determined Canelo was still alive, but the dog had to be euthanized because of the severity of his injuries, officials said.
“[Ramos-Corrales’] offense of conviction was a gruesome act of violence, which he committed with wanton disregard of the life of his puppy, Canelo,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo. “By the very nature and circumstances of [Ramos-Corrales’] violent offense, he has shown himself to be capable of ‘cold-hearted’ cruelty, as he himself admitted.”
The incident was investigated by the FBI with help from the Riverside Police Department. The case was referred to the Riverside County’s District Attorney’s Office, who along with the United States Attorney’s Office, later determined federal prosecutors should file the case.