Tag Archive for: Department of Animal Services

Campo Man Convicted of Felony Animal Cruelty for Neglecting His Dog’s Injury

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said that Osvaldo Deleon, 61, was sentenced today to 132 days in custody, two years formal probation, and ordered to abide by several conditions for failing to seek medical attention for his dog’s severely injured leg. The dog’s hind leg had an open wound with exposed bone when officials with the county’s Department of Animal Services (DAS) encountered it. The dog was taken into a veterinarian’s care and ultimately her leg had to be amputated.

Deleon was found guilty by a jury of one count of felony animal abuse on October 15. At today’s sentencing Superior Court Judge Herbert Exarhos ordered Deleon not to own animals for 10 years, waive his rights to searches under the Fourth Amendment, and complete a cruelty prevention and education curriculum.

“Our office remains firmly committed to holding individuals accountable for all forms of animal abuse, cruelty, and neglect,” said DA Stephan. “We are dedicated to being a voice for animals who cannot speak for themselves and to seeking justice on their behalf. Working closely with our law enforcement partners and the community, we strive not only to identify and prosecute abuse but also to prevent it before it happens.”

 

“This sentencing reinforces our commitment to protecting the health, safety and welfare of people and animals in unincorporated San Diego County,” said County Animal Services Director Vaughn Maurice. “Eagle’s case shows that these matters are taken seriously and we appreciate the District Attorney’s work in pursuing justice. With community support and our officers’ dedication, we can respond quickly, investigate thoroughly, and ensure animals receive the care and protection they need.”

In the past year, the District Attorney’s Office has filed animal cruelty-related charges in 48 criminal cases.

In December of last year, 61-year-old Todd Schuster was convicted of one count of felony animal cruelty and sentenced to two years in jail for viciously kicking a dog during a road rage incident and then running over the animal with his vehicle, killing it.

Previous animal cruelty-related prosecutions have included an elderly couple who hoarded 92 Yorkshire Terrier and Yorkie-mix dogs in a feces-filled home in Poway and a 31-year-old Oceanside resident who received an eight-year prison sentence for torturing and killing at least 10 cats. The defendant adopted the cats from the San Diego Humane Society and through Craigslist, subjecting them to severe abuse.

In 2018, the DA launched the office’s first-ever Animal Cruelty Prosecution Unit, which provides prosecutorial consistency countywide, investigative support and dedicated expertise for animal abuse cases. Since there is a strong link between animal abuse and violent crimes against people – particularly children and domestic violence – the unit resides within the DA’s Family Protection Division. The unit works closely with police, Sheriff’s deputies, DAS, animal control officers, the San Diego Humane Society, and others to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty cases vertically (one prosecutor handling the case from beginning to end.)

To report suspected animal abuse in San Diego County, you can contact the following agencies depending on the location and type of incident:

  • San Diego Humane Society – They handle animal cruelty investigations in most of San Diego County, including the cities of San Diego, Escondido, Imperial Beach, Poway, Santee, and others.
  • County of San Diego Department of Animal Services – Covers unincorporated areas and certain contract cities.
  • Local Law Enforcement – If an animal is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local police department.

The Osvaldo case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Maura Duffey.

Photo of gavel, law books and scales of justice on a wooden table.

Woman Charged for Allowing Aggressive Dogs to Roam North County Neighborhood

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said today that her office has filed criminal charges against a north county woman stemming from an investigation being conducted by the county’s Department of Animal Services. Debra Barkley, 68, has been charged with maintaining a public nuisance, as well as maintaining a public nuisance after being notified in writing by officials to remedy it. The charges stem from more than a dozen complaints by neighbors in Rancho Santa Fe that the defendant’s dogs are routinely allowed to escape her property unsupervised and are aggressive to community members, including children.

Barkley was arraigned on Monday and pleaded not guilty. Her next court date is a readiness hearing set for December 4 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 1 of the Superior Court in North County. Both charges are misdemeanor counts which carry a potential $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

“People deserve to feel safe in their own neighborhood and working with our investigative partners at the county, we determined the situation warranted misdemeanor criminal charges based on community feedback, the facts and the evidence,” said DA Stephan. “This case is being handled by the unit in our office that’s been established to focus on animal cruelty cases, protect animals in our county from abuse, and hold those who would commit such offenses accountable.”

There have also been complaints from the community that Barkley may have committed other animal neglect-related offenses related to horses that she maintains on a separate property.  Every report of potential animal abuse is taken seriously and is investigated by the Department of Animal Services, and where the evidence supports it, is reviewed by the DA’s Office for criminal charges.  While the charges filed in this case relate to dogs and not horses maintained by Barkley, the charges allow for a court to order enhanced supervision and monitoring that can ultimately result in the protection of animals on all of Ms. Barkley’s properties.

In 2018, DA Stephan launched the office’s first-ever formalized Animal Cruelty Prosecution Unit, which provides prosecutorial consistency countywide, investigative support and dedicated expertise for animal abuse cases. The unit works closely with police, Sheriff’s deputies, Department of Animal Services, animal control officers, the San Diego Humane Society, and others to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty cases vertically (one prosecutor handling the case from beginning to end.)

Since being established, the Unit has filed 368 criminal cases related to animal cruelty. One recent high-profile prosecution focused on a man who was sentenced in March of this year to eight years in state prison for torturing and killing at least 10 cats in Escondido. In another recent case, a defendant repeatedly kicked a stranger’s dog and then got into his car and ran over the dog, killing it.

Deputy District Attorney Eric Bodnar is prosecuting this case.