A Riverside, California man was sentenced to prison on Thursday for beating a stray dog to death with a shovel. According to CbsLANews, Efrem Rodriquez Martinez, 55, will spend the next five years locked up after pleading guilty to beating the dog and admitting he used the shovel as a weapon.
Spokesperson for the Riverside County Department of Animal Services, John Welsh, stated the three-year-old terrier mix known as Rusty, who lived in the Whitewater neighborhood, had been a friendly stray that neighbors regularly fed and occasionally took into their homes. On June 8, 2015, a witness saw Martinez “swing the shovel and hit the dog one last time before swooping the dog upon the shovel and tossing it over his back fence into the desert.”
Area residents were outraged and called Animal Services who rushed Rusty to an emergency veterinarian hospital, but sadly the dog died a few days later.
The Riverside County Animal Services Commander Chris Mayer posted the following statement as to Martinez’ sentence:
“Prison terms are not common for a majority of our animal cruelty cases, so we find it extremely satisfying to learn that Mr. Martinez received this level of punishment.”
Martinez has a previous strike. The three-strikes law increases prison sentences for those convicted of a felony.
Rest in peace Rusty.
(Photos for man sentenced to prison via Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and Riverside County Animal Services)
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I am glad he got sentenced. We need harsher punishments for animal creulty across the board.
DEATH PENALTY
Senseless! Look at his eyes- yet one more soulless, dead eyed POS who needs to be put down during his incarceration.
Good THIS POS NEEDS to GET BEAT TOO DEATH OR SHANKED SO HE suffers as MUCH PAIN AND SUFFERING the DOG Named RUSTY RECEIVED from HIM!!!
P.O.S. I can only hope that while he is in prison that some takes a shovel to his head !
Is a piece of s*** just put a bullet through his f****** head or better yet when he goes to prison make sure everyone knows what he did to that little dog and karma is a b****
I’m glad he’s being punished for his crime. POS!!!!!
You are a real sicko. A person with satin’s mind
You have allowed your mind to be possessed by satin. You are a demon from hell. Go back and stay there.
Are you commenting to me or the POS in the article?
I hope someone kills him in prison. I hate, hate hate people that do crimes against animals. I’d beat his ass with my club if he came to my prison. No mercy
Not long enough!!!!!!
About goddamn time suffer you bastard hope they kill you in there
Martinez, U’re nothing but a sick loser!! Rot in hell!!
Why the fuck does this guy goes to prison? And for 5 years even?
It’s just a fucking dog, not human. He doesn’t deserve to go to the prison for 5 years for that.
At worst, the prison should be should only about a month or so.
You should be drowned in a bucket of “URINE”
It’s a felony to beat and kill an animal you moron!