Videos showing Stockton man seemingly shoot dog with BB gun lead to his arrest
STOCKTON — Videos taken by an anonymous source show a Stockton man appearing to shoot his dog with a BB gun multiple times while it's in a cage.
Neighbors along Bristol Avenue said they hear yelping from the dog in the backyard at all times of the day.
The person who took the videos wanted to remain unidentified out of fear of retaliation.
"It's like a little dog, over and over and over and it's crying, and it looks like it's fun for him," the individual said.
The person who recorded the footage asked a friend to post it to social media and then reported it to the Stockton Police Department.
"I wanted something to be done, not just a ticket and a slap on the wrist," the individual said.
Stockton police said they were first made aware of videos online on June 28.
Officers responded to the home but the residents there said the dog was given away. Officers later returned but the dog was nowhere to be found.
"It was just coincidentally that the dog wasn't there the day police first went out," the person who recorded the videos said.
Police ultimately arrested 47-year-old Maurice Smith. The dog was found with injuries consistent with being shot with a BB gun.
"[Smith] just moved in not that long ago, so for him to be doing all that, it's kind of crazy," said another neighbor who wanted to remain anonymous.
Smith was arrested Tuesday. He was found with an illegal firearm and was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail under animal cruelty and firearm-related charges.
The person who reported the crime now has a message for the community: "If you see anything that's not right, say something."
It's unclear where the dog is now after being recovered.
Smith is scheduled to be arraigned later this week.