No arrests have been made in the investigation into the death of Ruso, a 9-year-old husky. Filiberto Reyes says Ruso was lured out of his fenced front yard with food on a recent Sunday and found hours later hanging by an orange leash from a metal security door in a Lynwood alley. The dog was found behind a doughnut shop and laundromat on Long Beach Boulevard, less than a mile from Reyes's home.
Reyes, 34, an aerospace quality inspector, did not witness what happened to Ruso on Oct. 4. According to the Los Angeles Times, Reyes said a man and a woman were seen outside his fence that afternoon, and that the woman was bitten by Ruso before the pair let the dog out of the yard by luring him with food. Reyes believes the pair agitated Ruso and that the dog reacted in self-defense; authorities have not independently confirmed that account.
A neighbor later showed Reyes a video circulating online that appeared to show a dog hanged in a Lynwood alley. Reyes told the Los Angeles Times that by the time he arrived at the scene Sunday evening, authorities had already taken Ruso away. He said he has since told authorities about a man he suspects was responsible and has seen that man in Lynwood since the incident.
A Family Grieving and Reconsidering Where They Live
Reyes described Ruso as a playful dog who was gentle with children and liked to stand on his hind paws to hug people with his front paws. “It's like losing a son,” he said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The loss has shaken the family's sense of safety. Reyes and his relatives told the Los Angeles Times they no longer feel safe living in Compton and are weighing a move to Bellflower or Lakewood, hoping for a fresh start away from the area where Ruso was killed.
City Launches Investigation After Councilman Flags the Case
Lynwood City Councilman Luis Cuellar has said he first learned about the incident on social media and notified the city manager, who then launched an investigation. The City of Lynwood released a statement expressing sadness and concern over the reported animal cruelty, saying it was “deeply saddened and disturbed” by the case, and followed with another statement hours later acknowledging the community's concern. The city has asked anyone with video, photographs or other relevant information to contact Detective Christina Smith at (213) 678-5402.
The case has generated significant public attention: the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Century Station received hundreds of emails regarding Ruso's death, per a deputy. Reyes said he wants the investigation to conclude with answers and justice for his dog.
Jurisdictional Patchwork Complicates Animal-Cruelty Cases
Animal-cruelty investigations in Los Angeles County can be complicated by a patchwork of local authority. According to guidance from the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, animal control services vary significantly between cities, with ten separate organizations across the county investigating animal abuse, and officers restricted by law to the jurisdictions that employ them.
Lynwood has faced a disturbing animal-cruelty case before. In April, officials received reports that a possum had been found burned, with a noose around its neck, hanging from a chain-link fence in Yvonne Burke-John D. Ham Park, according to spcaLA. spcaLA led that investigation and sent the animal's remains for necropsy to determine the cause of death and whether it was alive when burned. spcaLA President Madeline Bernstein described that case as potentially involving both animal cruelty and arson. It is not known whether that earlier case is connected to Ruso's death.
What Is Known About a Separate Dog-Cruelty Case
In a separate Los Angeles case, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said Esteban Garcia was accused of carrying a 5½-year-old bulldog, later named Adriana, into an alley behind the 2000 block of East 78th St. on April 7, dropping her on her head, kicking her and throwing her into a stack of tires, where she was left to die. Those allegations concern a different incident and do not establish a connection to Ruso's death. The DA's account describes the allegations, not a final disposition; the office's account cited in the following paragraph says Garcia was charged with one felony count of animal cruelty and pleaded not guilty.
The District Attorney's Office has pursued other animal-cruelty cases in recent years, including the separate Garcia case described above, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. For now, Reyes and his family are waiting for word on who was behind Ruso's death as the Lynwood investigation continues without an arrest.
