A Pennsylvania man faces assault, reckless endangerment charges and cruelty to animals after a violent incident involving an 18-month-old boy and a dead Chihuahua.
Altoona Police Department officers found the dead dog and the injured toddler in a portable crib/playpen after responding to a report late last month about a man assaulting a young child.
A witness who could look into the apartment reported seeing the man, identified by police as Bryan Morales Gracia, 34, repeatedly hitting the child before throwing the child into the playpen.
Arriving officers found the dead dog — and the injured toddler with red marks on the child's cheeks, back, and forehead, as well as what also appeared to be two partial fingerprint marks on the toddlers forehead.
Police determined that the child and Chihuahua are often placed into the portable crib together and the child was thrown into it with such force that it fatally wounded the little dog.
Morales Gracia told police the little boy often hits the dog and he smacked the child to reprimand him, the Altoona Mirror reported. He reportedly claimed to have placed the child on top of the dog by mistake.
Morales Gracia was arraigned and sent to the Blair County Prison in lieu of a $25,000 cash bail. He is due back in court on July 5.
The child was treated at a local hospital. His condition was not released.
The condition of the child was not released.
