Anaheim man caught beating his dog in apartment complex avoids jail
The Anaheim man caught kicking and punching his dog in an apartment complex will face no jail time after accepting a plea deal.
A neighbor caught the disturbing beating on a Ring camera last year. After the video was released, 34-year-old Albert Frank Abad Jr. turned himself in to the Anaheim Police Department last year.
"He shouldn't be given a break," said Kimberly Edds, spokesperson for the Orange County District Attorney. "He should be doing time in jail and being held accountable for abusing animals."
Prosecutors filed a felony animal cruelty case against Abad. However, during the trial, Abad agreed to plead guilty after his defense attorney made a motion to reduce it to a misdemeanor. The District Attorney's office said it objected to the lesser charge that resulted in a suspended 30-day jail sentence.
"Judges have the ability under the law to reduce certain felonies to misdemeanors, but it is shocking that Judge Glenn-Leistikow would exercise that discretion to give a break to someone who clearly has no issue engaging in cruelty to a vulnerable animal," said District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
Edds said that prosecutors pushed for Abad to serve two years of formal probation and jail time. However, the judge denied that request and placed him on a one-year formal probation.
"He's not allowed to own any additional animals, however, once he's off probation there's no way for us to keep track of that," said Edds.
Several people asked about adopting Steeler, the Labradoodle that Abad beat, but the dog is now living at a nonprofit animal rescue out of state.
