Dog Tossed, Abandoned at Cell Tower

Animal Services seeks arrest warrant for owner of dog tossed at cell tower

Animal Services will seek an arrest warrant for a man suspected of willfully abandoning a dog at a cell phone tower on Dec. 15 in the Winchester area.

A man was captured on video surveillance footage picking up a dog and hurling it over a tall fence topped with razor wire. Maintenance workers for the cell tower contacted Animal Services after discovering the neglected dog and provided it some care while on scene. The dog was inside the fencing for less than two hours.

Officer Michael McGee responded and transported the dog to a county shelter.

Animal Services officers made multiple attempts to find the owner. The dog is microchipped, which enabled officers to try to locate the man at a Temecula address. It appears he is no longer a resident there and the phone number provided for the chip is not allowing incoming calls.

The dog’s name is KO and records indicate the dog is owned by Robert Ruiz Jr., 30, according to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.

Animal Services will seek an arrest warrant for Ruiz for willful abandonment of an animal based on the footage and additional information.

“We’re now moving forward with seeking the arrest warrant because this person needs to be held
accountable for such a horrible act of willful abandonment,” Animal Services Commander Josh Sisler said in a prepared statement. “We are confident the man in the video is the owner of the dog. It is just shocking to see this act. It’s a small miracle the dog did not suffer serious injuries from the razor wire or from such a high drop.”

The dog, an 8-year-old, male pit bull mix, was examined for injuries and is being cared for at the county’s Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley.

Veterinary staffers treated the dog’s right eye for mucoid discharge. Its left eye also exhibited discharge, but it was less severe than the right eye.

The cell tower where the abandonment occurred is located atop a hill near Flossie Way and Pourroy Road.

Workers told Officer McGee the dog was very thirsty. They provided the dog three bottles of water prior to McGee’s arrival.

KO has been renamed to Ken and is now available for adoption or transfer to one of the county’s partner rescue organizations.