Dennis RomeroA 45-year-old Hawthorne man ran over his own Chihuahua on purpose, police allege. And, they say, it was caught on video. Two clips distributed by Hawthorne police are embedded on the next page. Be warned: They're graphic and disturbing.
Michael David Parker was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty Friday after someone found his dead dog in a bag the day before, police said.
Cops told us they believe it's possible the suspect killed the pooch over a dispute with his wife:
On Thursday police and animal control officials received a tip about a dog's body found in a bag near El Segundo Boulevard and Doty Avenue in Hawthorne, according to the local police.
Cops discovered that on Dec. 28 a suspect drove through an alley near that intersection, dropped off a 5-and-one-half-year-old dog named Cow Cow, and ran it over, according to Hawthorne police.
Police discovered security video and distributed it to the media. Here's the department's account:
From video, he is seen opening his trunk, closing it, and then re-entering his vehicle. Moments later “Cow Cow” appears from the side of the vehicle and runs out in front of it. Parker backs his vehicle up, and then appears to accelerate rapidly, steering directly toward the dog. “Cow Cow” is run completely over. The vehicle continues on out of sight. A nearby resident later discovers and collects the deceased dog from the alley, placing it in the bag it was found in.
Credit: Suspect Parker via Hawthorne police.
The vehicle appeared to be a late-model Nissan or Infinity sedan.
Police told us the man had separated from his wife and wanted to move back into a home they shared in San Pedro. Two dogs were kept there, however, and the wife checked up on them daily to feed them, they said.
The pets could have been a hindrance to the man's plans, cops said. The other dog has not been accounted for, police said. Parker told police that he dropped both pets off in the alley at the same time, we were told.
A Hawthorne police official we talked to said the suspect told officers the Chihuahua was hit accidentally.
Parker was tracked down and arrested at his place of business, police said. Arraignment was set for March 25 at the LAX courthouse.
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