Dog rescued from vehicle at off-Strip casino; 1 arrested

A man is facing a felony count of animal cruelty after a dog was rescued this past weekend from a vehicle in the parking lot of an off-Strip casino.

Matthew Crooks, 51, was arrested early Saturday on charges of willful and/or malicious torture of a dog and misdemeanor counts of depriving an animal of sustenance/shelter/medical care and failure to provide for a confined animal.

Police were called just before 1 a.m. Saturday to the Rio, 3700 W. Flamingo Road, about reports of a dog locked in a vehicle, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman Alejandra Zambrano. Witnesses said there was no water and the dog, described as an 11-year-old tan pit bull mix, was panting heavily.

Clark County Animal Control was summoned and rescued the dog, taking it to Lied Animal Shelter for treatment. The dog is alive and still receiving care, according to county spokesman Dan Kulin.

Surveillance video at the casino indicated that the dog had been in the vehicle for several hours.

Crooks was released on his own recognizance. A status check on his case is scheduled for Aug. 5 at the Regional Justice Center.

Contact Tony Garcia at tgarcia@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307. Follow @TonyGLVNews on Twitter.