A Carson City man has been arrested nearly a year after someone fired a gun into a Truckee home and killed the family dog, a death that sent investigators searching for months for a shooter they initially could not identify. Gian Mendoza Silverio was taken into custody in Nevada on Oct. 21 and now awaits extradition to Nevada County, where he is expected to face multiple felony charges tied to the shooting.
Truckee police said the Carson City man was arrested in connection with the Dec. 9, 2025, shooting of a dog inside a family's residence on Deerfield Drive, according to CBS News. The dog, named Bandit, was killed when someone discharged a firearm into the home, as KCRA reported at the time. The incident took place on Deerfield Drive, according to the Sacramento Bee.
A Weeks-Long Pattern Before the Fatal Shot
The Bee reported that the same person was believed to have been seen in the neighborhood a week before the shooting, and that on Dec. 9, the person was spotted carrying a box believed to contain a firearm. Investigators had also noted that the subject was captured on video in the area on Dec. 2 and again when the shooting happened, according to a separate report from Fox40. That footage helped shape the public search that followed, as police released a description and appealed for tips while the case remained unsolved for months.
At the time, Truckee police described the suspect as a Hispanic man approximately 18 to 20 years old, about 5 feet 7 inches tall and 170 pounds, with a light complexion, short black hair and a mustache, per Fox40's report. Police also shared a photo of a man wanted in connection with the incident, as noted in KCRA's coverage, and asked anyone with information to contact the department at 530-317-1112 or [email protected], according to the Bee.
Months of Investigation Lead to an Arrest
CBS News reported that Truckee police investigated the dog shooting for months before Silverio's arrest this week. He now awaits extradition to Nevada County and will be charged with multiple felonies, including stalking, animal cruelty and vandalism, according to the same report.
The case remained a painful one for the Deerfield Drive family in the months after Bandit's death, with the shooting drawing wider attention as police pressed the public for leads. The arrest marks the first major break in an investigation that began with a single reported firearm discharge and a neighborhood on edge.
