An American Canyon man is facing four felony counts of animal cruelty after bringing his six-month-old pit bull puppy to an emergency veterinary clinic for treatment of injuries that staff there flagged to police. Aaron William Aranda, 31, pleaded not guilty to the charges this week in Napa County Superior Court.
According to the Napa Valley Register, Aranda sought treatment for his puppy at the clinic, and veterinarians there determined that the injuries were the result of abuse. Local emergency veterinary clinic staff reported the puppy's injuries to police, setting off an investigation, as reported by KRON4.
Detectives Build a Case Against Aranda
American Canyon police and Napa County Sheriff's Office detectives investigated how the puppy came to be injured, according to Patch. The evidence they gathered indicated that Aranda was responsible for the abuse, per the Napa County Sheriff's Office. That investigation led to a $50,000 arrest warrant, the outlet notes.
Authorities detained Aranda on Sept. 15 on the warrant, which had been issued Sept. 11, the Register's report states. He pleaded not guilty on Sept. 16 in Napa County Superior Court to four felony counts of animal cruelty, and the report notes that each charge carries aggravating factor allegations.
Conflicting Reports on Custody and Next Court Date
The Napa Valley Register's report describes Aranda's custody status on Thursday, while KRON4 reported that he was out of jail as of Friday. The two outlets also differ on when the case returns to court, with the Register citing a Sept. 24 date and KRON4 citing Sept. 23.
The article also cites two other animal-cruelty cases in California. In December, a San Francisco man was arrested on felony animal cruelty charges after a dog died, according to NBC Bay Area. Earlier that month, a Buena Park man was charged with felony animal cruelty after allegedly using an SUV to kill a pregnant dog, per The East Bay Times.
