Miami woman accused of beating small dog to death, throwing body in dumpster – NBC 6 South Florida
A Miami woman was arrested after police said she brutally beat her small dog to death then tossed the body in a dumpster.
Lindsay Valcin, 31, was arrested Tuesday on an animal cruelty charge in the death of the dog, a Yorkie mix, an arrest report said.
The report said police had responded to Valcin’s apartment building back on Nov. 29 after receiving an anonymous complaint of animal abuse.
When officers arrived, a neighbor gave them cellphone video of Valcin physically assaulting the small black and brown dog, the report said.
The video showed Valcin, who was partially nude, punching the dog several times and calling the dog a “dumb b—-,” the report said.
“The dog can be heard screeching crying as the defendant continues the attack,” the report said. “The defendant is then seen grabbing the dog by her tail and slamming her into the glass door on the balcony.”
Valcin could be heard asking the dog “why the f— would you do that?” as she grabbed the dog by the head and slammed her several times into a glass door, the report said.
At one point, the dog stops crying, and Valcin throws the dog into the corner of the balcony, the report said.
Valcin then took a red shopping cart and rammed it into the dog’s body before picking up the dog and slamming her into the glass one last time, the report said.
Valcin was heard saying “if you f—— die, oh well,” the report said.
“The dog is then observed on the opposite side of the balcony in a fetal position silent and not moving, presumed to be deceased,” the report said. “The defendant goes back inside her home and leaves the dog on the balcony.”
Officers went to Valcin’s apartment and asked the whereabouts of her dog, and she told them the dog was at her mother’s house, the report said.
But when officers contacted the mother, she said she didn’t have the dog and didnt know where it is, the report said.
Valcin was asked again where the dog was and she said it had been stolen by an unknown person, but referred to the dog in the past tense, the report said.
Animal Services investigators responded and attempted to find the dog in the trash chute but were unsuccessful.
An Animal Services investigator returned the next day and searched the large garbage bin that holds trash from all the apartments but didn’t find the body.
The investigator reviewed surveillance footage which showed Valcin throw a black bag into a dumpster, the report said.
The investigator searched the dumpster and found the bag which contained the dog’s body, and a necropsy found the dog died from blunt force trauma, the report said.
Valcin was interviewed again and said she’d come home from drinking and found the dog had damaged her sliding door, causing two holes to it, the report said.
Valcin gave a further statement that was redacted from the report.
Police arrested Valcin and booked her into jail. On Wednesday, she appeared in bond court where she was appointed public defender and granted a $5,000 bond.
“This is extreme violence to a helpless animal,” a prosecutor said while arguing for a higher bond.
But the judge noted Valcin had no previous criminal record.
“This is something disturbing, we’re talking about a little dog, a dog that’s not even 25 pounds and she punched him, she threw him against the window more than once and ultimately killed this dog,” Miami Police spokesman Michael Vega said. “It’s not tolerable, it’s not acceptable in this society and we’re not gonna take that from anyone, you do this to a dog, you will be arrested.”