ARLINGTON, Va. – A 26-year-old Virginia man has been arrested after police say he tossed two dogs to their death from his apartment balcony.
The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. Monday. Police received a call about the dogs being thrown off a fifth floor apartment balcony at the Meridian building at 1401 N. Taft Street, ARL now reported.
Another man at the scene — possibly the building manager — rushed the dogs to a local vet prior to officers arrival, according to police.
Zachary Hanson, 26, was identified as the suspect. Also, despite the valiant effort of the man who rushed the dogs to the vet, they did not survive.
The breed of the animals was not provided by the local press report.
Consequently, Hanson faces two counts of animal cruelty.
More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:
ANIMAL COMPLAINT, 2020-04280069, 1400 block of N. Taft Street. At approximately 2:30 p.m. on April 27, police were dispatched to the report of an animal complaint. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect allegedly threw two dogs off the balcony of a residence. Prior to police arrival, the dogs were located and transported to area animal hospitals, where they succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced deceased. Officers made contact with the suspect at his residence and took him into custody without incident. Zachary Hanson, 26, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Cruelty to Animals (x2). He was held on no bond.
A police spokeswoman told ARLnow that one of the dogs belonged to Hanson, while the other dog belonged to someone he knew.
“One belonged to the suspect, the other belonged to someone known to the suspect,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “To best protect the identity of the victim, we will not release additional information related to their relationship.”
“What preceded the incident is under investigation,” Savage added.
Court records show that Hanson has a preliminary hearing scheduled in Arlington General District on Aug. 28. The charges against him are both Class 6 felonies that generally call for 1-5 years in prison if convicted.
