Hawthorne dog cruelty case
Many of you have probably already seen this story about a pit bull named Mary Jane written earlier this week by my Daily Breeze colleague Larry Altman.
On Monday, a Hawthorne man -- Ricardo Salvador Plascenia, 19 -- was booked on suspicion of animal cruelty after neighbors heard his dog, Mary Jane, "screaming and crying," police said. The neighbor thought a dog had been struck by a car.
A neighbor's cell phone video allegedly captured the dog being punched and kicked; slammed to the concrete pavement; and then suspended by a rope and a choke chain over a clothesline in the man's backyard.
The black 50-pound pit bull, which was slammed to the concrete in an alleged crime caught on video, was taken to an animal hospital. On Tuesday, she cowered in her cage but was said to be in good condition.
"She's actually a very, very good girl," Hawthorne animal control officer helen Coronel said. "She's very timid. I don't blame her."
Animal cruelty charges, however, were not immediately filed against Plascenia. Prosecutors sent the case back to police to gather more evidence, including a medical report on the dog's condition.
Larry tells me this is no different than any other case in which prosecutors hope to gather the most documentation they can before moving a case forward. Remember, though, that dogs legally are considered property so this could wind up a misdemeanor.
(Mary Jane is shown below in a photograph by Scott Varley of the Daily Breeze.)
Plascenia was scheduled to be released from custody earlier this week.
The dog, a pit bull mix, will be transferred and held at the Carson animal shelter pending any court proceedings.
Regardless of the outcome, authorities said the dog would not be given back to Plascenia, who also allegedly had marijuana plants on the premises in the 4000 block of 141st Street.
We'll keep readers posted as the case moves forward.
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About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
GaryM, I LOVE your post. However, I fear that it (Ricardo Salvador Plascenia) is far too unstable to release back into the unwitting public, where it might do harm to another innocent victim. I am hopeful that after it was impounded, it was tested to determine what might be wrong with it, as simple marijuana cultivation could not explain such aberrant behavior.
I strongly recommend that Ricardo Salvador Plascenia be spay/neutered before being returned to society. (My first choice would be a 4-day wait period and then euthanasia if no one claims responsibility for this disgusting creature).