ALBUQUERQUE, NM – According to police, the man who fed a neighbor’s lap dog to a couple of pit bulls told officers, “it’s just something he does.” Neighbors said he was on a mission to terrorize them, going from house to house on a South Valley cul de sac – beating up one man and killing a dog.
Bernadette Salazar and her Shih Tzu, Charlie Brown, had a morning routine.
“He would jump up and bite my butt when I was making my coffee,” said Bernadette Salazar, owner of the Shih Tzu.
But this morning, Charlie Brown was not in the kitchen to greet her.
“It wasn’t my dog’s fault or his dogs’ fault. It was this neighbor’s fault,” said Salazer
Tuesday, Salazar’s next door neighbor — identified as 30-year-old Marvin Riley — went on a crime spree, terrorizing the cul de sac on Honeck Road in the South Valley.
“It was scary, it was scary,” said Esther M., owner of the pit bulls.
Riley lives on the cul de sac, and according to neighbors, he first walked over to his next door neighbor’s house and kicked in their back door.
“Beat the guy in that house,” said Salazar.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators said Riley beat that neighbor in the face with a set of pliers. Riley then walked across the cul de sac to where Charlie Brown was playing in the yard.
“Then from that house went to my house to my yard,” said Salazar.
Riley broke into her yard and stole the Shih Tzu. What he did next, neighbors said is beyond disturbing.
“He just got the puppy, and go like that,” said Esther M., owner of the pit bulls.
He threw the Shih Tzu into a yard with two pit bulls who attacked. The pit bull owners tried to pull their dogs away, but it was too late by the time Salazar got there.
“My dog was laying right there in the plastic bag already,” said Salazar.
Neighbors are angry and don’t understand why.
“You can’t trust people, you know what I mean,” said Esther M.
Deputies were called and Riley was arrested. Investigators said he just laughed about feeding the Shih Tzu to the pit bulls. Riley is facing several charges including a felony charge for animal cruelty.
The neighbor, who was hit in the face was taken to UNM Hospital and is expected to be okay.