Reno-area woman arrested for stabbing dog to death
Washoe County sheriff’s detectives have arrested a Reno-area woman suspected of stabbing and bludgeoning her dog to death to avoid having to pay veterinary fees to euthanize the animal.
Laura Beth Hesse, 30, of Stead, Nev. was arrested Tuesday on multiple charges after an investigation stemming from the discovery of a deceased dog in a dumpster, according to a news release from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.
She faces charges of willful and malicious torture/maiming/killing of a dog/animal, child neglect, driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance, the release said.
On Feb. 3, Reno Police Department officers found the body of a female Boxer wrapped in a towel inside a dumpster located behind a business on the 13000 block of Stead Boulevard.
Washoe County Regional Animal Services later identified Hesse as the dog’s owner. A necropsy of the animal indicated the dog’s death was related to multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma to the head, and the information was sent to the sheriff’s office detective division to review for possible criminal activity.
“The Sheriff’s Office investigation uncovered evidence to support arresting Hesse on charges for killing her dog as a means to save on the fees necessary to have the animal euthanized by a veterinarian,” the release said.
Detectives took Hesse into custody after a sheriff’s office patrol deputy saw her leave a Zeolite Drive residence, run a stop sign, stopped her, and found she was driving under the influence, the release said.
During the traffic stop, sheriff’s personnel saw a small child leave an open door at the residence and begin wandering the neighborhood.
Attempts to contact someone within the home were met with no response, and deputies observed controlled substances within the house and obtained a search warrant, the sheriff’s office said. A search inside discovered methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, the release said.
The case remains under investigation.
