We reported on this story a while back. In it, a – then unknown – man kicked a puppy on the street so hard that the dog slammed into a nearby wall. The dog’s owner rushed to a veterinary hospital since the dog had a fractured skull. The incident had taken place in an alley outside of 638 Market in St. San Francisco, but at the time there was no further development. The man was still at large and was searched for by Animal Care & Control, and Puppet the puppy was still in the hospital, fighting for his life.
Two crucial things have happened since then.
First, unfortunately, Puppet didn’t make it and died in the hospital.
Secondly, Puppet’s murderer has been identified and arrested, thanks to the surveillance video he was caught on, as well as the active support from the community.
The man is Nicholas Cornelius, he is 24-years-old and San Francisco sheriff’s deputies arrested him on Sunday, June 10. The incident itself took place on June 1.
Deputies were able to locate and arrest Nicholas after receiving tips about him and his whereabouts from concerned citizens.
“Animals deserve our care and compassion,” District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement. “When someone takes advantage of their vulnerability, we have a responsibility to hold their offenders accountable.”
“We thank the community for their support,” Virginia Donahue, Animal Care and Control’s executive director, said in a statement. “The community acts as our eyes and ears, and in this case, the information provided to our agency led to an arrest.”
