Miami woman arrested for allegedly beating her dog to death
MIAMI — A woman was arrested Tuesday afternoon for allegedly beating a dog to death last month.
Lindsay Valcin, 31, was charged with animal cruelty with the intent to injure or kill with a deadly weapon.
According to the police affidavit, a Miami Police officer responded to the area of 750 NW 69th Street on November 29 about an anonymous animal abuse complaint. Upon arrival, the officer was provided cell phone video of the suspect — later identified as Valcin — physically assaulting a small black and brown dog.
Though the witness requested to remain anonymous, they confirmed to police that the person in the video was Valcin, who was seen partially nude and striking the dog "several times with a closed fist," the affidavit stated. In the video, Valcin was also heard yelling explicit language while striking the dog and the animal could be heard screeching as she continued attacking her.
Then, Valcin is seen grabbing the dog by her tail and slamming her into the glass door on the balcony, yelling at the animal more before grabbing the dog's head and slamming it into the glass door. It was at this moment the dog was no longer heard crying and Valcin then threw the dog to the ground in the balcony's corner.
Afterward, Valcin took a red shopping cart and rammed it into the dog's body before picking up the dog one last time and slamming her into the glass door, the affidavit said. Valcin is then heard calling the dog "vulgar names" and yelling explicit words before saying "If you f***ing die oh well." The dog is then seen on the opposite side of the balcony in a fetal position and not moving, presumed to be dead, the affidavit stated. Valcin is then seen going back inside of her home and leaving the dog on the balcony.
The responding officer then called Miami-Dade Animal Services, along with three additional Miami Police officers, and went to Valcin's apartment to investigate. According to the affidavit, when officers asked Valcin about the whereabouts of her dog, she told them that the animal was at her mother's house. Officers then asked Valcin to call her mom to confirm that the dog was in her possession; however, Valcin's mother told police that she didn't have the dog and was unaware of where the dog was. Officers then asked Valcin where her dog was, to which she responded that she was "stolen" by an unknown individual.
During the investigation, the first officer found a red Sedano's shopping cart on Valcin's balcony and noticed that she had kept referring to her dog in the past tense when asked what kind of breed she was: a Yorkie mix. When questioned about her choice of words, Valcin told police that it was a "mistake," the affidavit stated. Then, Animal Services attempted to find the dog in the trash chute, but couldn't. Due to a lack of evidence at the time, Valcin was not arrested.
The next day, Animal Services returned to the property to follow up on the investigation, where they found Valcin outside of the building. She then asked Animal Services why they were there, to which they informed her that they were following up to the investigation from the day before. Valcin then confirmed her identity with Animal Services and told them that her dog had been stolen. Animal Services asked Valcin if her dog was in the trash chute or dumpster, and she appeared to "become nervous and walked away," the affidavit stated.
Animal Services then contacted the building's maintenance manager, who permitted them to search the property's dumpster. However, the dog was still not found. Animal Services then contacted the property manager, who informed them of the investigation and that the dog was gifted to Valcin, the affidavit stated.
Animal Services and the property manager then watched surveillance video on the night of the reported incident, to which they saw Valcin carry a black bag from her apartment and walk toward the trash chute, before stopping and looking out the window. She then walks over to the elevator, where another camera filmed her tossing the black bag directly into the dumpster. Animal Services then walked over to the dumpster shown in the video and found the bag that Valcin threw away, and found the dead dog inside of it, wrapped inside of a gray baby blanket alongside other garbage, the affidavit stated.
Then, Animal Services contacted Miami Police, where two officers tried to contact Valcin but she wasn't home. Police then completed an information case while the dog was taken to MVS for a CT scan before being taken back to Animal Services for necropsy, where it was found that the dog died from "blunt force trauma by way of base skull fracture," the affidavit stated.
Later on Tuesday, Valcin was brought into the burglary office of the Miami Police Department, where detectives read her Miranda rights and she agreed to talk. According to the affidavit, when Valcin came home on the night of the incident, she went onto her porch and found that her dog had damaged her sliding door, causing two holes in it before attacking her. Valcin was then arrested and transported to TGK.
