PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – A disturbing incident of animal abuse has sent shockwaves throughout Mexico, as a man allegedly threw a dog into a pot of boiling oil, resulting in the animal’s tragic death. Authorities have detained the suspect for the assault on the dog and have issued an additional arrest warrant on charges of attempted murder stemming from an earlier altercation with another individual.
The incident occurred on May 28 in the town of San Pablo Tecalco, located in the State of Mexico. According to reports, an argument between a merchant and an individual escalated, with the latter allegedly brandishing a knife. As the suspect left the premises, he seized one of the dogs present on the public road and callously tossed it into a container of boiling oil used for frying chicharron.
Rosa Icela Rodríguez, Secretary of Public Security and Citizen Protection of Mexico, emphasized that “the subject was armed, and prior to the attack on the animal, he had engaged in an argument with the owner of a butcher shop.”
The shocking act of cruelty was captured on video by several witnesses and quickly circulated on social media platforms, sparking outrage and demands for justice from the public. PVDN is not sharing this video or screenshots.
Following an intensive investigation, the suspect was apprehended on May 30 at an address in Mexico City. The individual’s name is Sergio Morales and is a uniformed police officer in the State of Mexico. If found guilty of assaulting the animal, the individual could face a prison sentence ranging from six to ten years for acts of animal abuse or cruelty, as stipulated in the Penal Code of the State of Mexico. The code also imposes a punishment of 50 to 150 days of imprisonment or a fine for intentionally causing injury or death to an animal.
“The detainee is currently under investigation for his alleged involvement in the act of animal abuse that occurred on Sunday, May 28, when he entered a butcher shop located in the town of San Pablo Tecalco, municipality of Tecámac. He verbally assaulted the shop owner, threatened him with a sharp instrument, and upon leaving the establishment, grabbed one of the dogs present and threw it into a saucepan filled with boiling oil, resulting in its death,” stated the Prosecutor’s Office.
On May 31, the State Prosecutor’s Office announced that a second arrest warrant had been issued against the alleged assailant on charges of attempted murder for the threat made against the merchant during the earlier altercation.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador strongly condemned the incident, stating, “It is crucial to raise awareness that such acts should never occur and must not be tolerated.”
The dog’s name was Scooby, and its owner, 11-year-old Roberto Martínez, only became aware of the attack when the animal was being removed from the boiling oil. “I felt horrible… I couldn’t bear to see him like that,” expressed the young boy during a television interview with his mother.
“What I want is justice for Scooby,” he added, voicing the sentiments of many demanding accountability for this heinous act of animal abuse.
The case has ignited a national conversation about the importance of animal welfare, prompting calls for stricter legislation and increased efforts to prevent such acts of cruelty from happening again in the future.
PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) - A disturbing incident of animal abuse has sent shockwaves throughout Mexico, as a man allegedly threw a dog into a pot . . .
