EDINBURG, Texas – The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 21-year-old male in connection to an animal cruelty case. Claudio Gomez.
On Feb. 12 the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a concerned citizen reporting he had seen a video of a man torturing a dog on Facebook.
Sheriff’s investigators reviewed the video and observed a man had hung a small puppy by his neck from a tree.
Investigators were able to obtain an address and responded to the address. There they met with 21-year-old Claudio Gomez, who later provided a voluntary statement admitting to hanging a dog that didn’t belong to him out of boredom.
Gomez was arrested, transported to the county jail, and charged with Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals, a State Jail Felony. Gomez was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Gilberto Saenz, PCT 1, PLC 1, and issued a 10,000 Cash Surety Bond.
We urge anyone with information regarding crimes or suspicious activities to call the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 956-383-8114. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may call the Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers hotline at 668-TIPS (8477).
