Man sought on suspicion of throwing dog over hillside in California

CITY TERRACE, California -- Animal control officers in City Terrace are asking for the public's help to find a man caught on surveillance video throwing a dog over a hillside.

Reuben Roque fought back tears as he handed the dog, named Girl, to animal services. He wants the department to find the suspect who lured the stray dog off the streets two weeks ago, only to throw her over a hillside moments later.

"That's a living creature that didn't do anything to anybody. Then all of the sudden some animal decides to do what he did," Roque said. "I've seen horrible things, and this is probably the one thing that really got to me."

After she was found, Roque fostered her for two weeks and said she has become part of the family.

Roque's neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said he was the first to find the dog struggling to get back up the hill. He said she was hiding behind a bush, completely terrified.

He added that the man who threw her came back looking for her. The neighbor confronted the man and told him he had called the police.

Now the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control is investigating the incident and searching for the man behind the cruel act.

"If the public knows something, they should say something. They should give us a call or their local police department," said Chris Kim, public information officer with the department.

Until then, Girl will spend the next 72 hours with the department, and if all goes as planned then Roque can adopt her.

"I'd love for her to come back. She'll come back to us. She'll be part of the family, and that was the thing, she became part of the family," he said.

The incident happened in the 1300 block of Luella Drive. Authorities said the suspect was last seen in a silver four-door sedan.