An Ojai man was arrested on suspicion of stabbing to death a dog that belonged to him and his mother, authorities said Wednesday.
Daniel Vincent Vigil, 29, allegedly stabbed the dog once in the torso with a knife before deputies were called to his home around noon on May 10, according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Detective James Douglas.
The dog had to be euthanized the following day as a result of the injury.
Authorities were responding to a reported disturbance at his and his mother’s home, located in the 200 block of Avenida De La Verda, when they found the injured pet, officials said.
The small dog was wrapped in a towel and being held by Vigil’s mother when deputies arrived, Douglas said. Vigil had allegedly fled the scene by that time and was later found hiding inside a nearby barranca.
He was arrested without incident and booked on suspicion of animal cruelty, intimidating a witness or victim, bribing a witness and removing a communication device from the victim — with an enhancement for using a weapon during the commission of a crime, according to sheriff’s officials.
Vigil is being held on $30,000 bail at Ventura County Main Jail and is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on May 29, inmate records show.
The records also indicate Vigil is an employee of Oxnard High School.
