A 34-year-old man was arrested in northern California for stealing his ex-girlfriend's pet dog, cooking it and then feeding it to her.
Ryan Watenpaugh of Palo Cedro was taken into police custody on Thursday. According to USA Today, the woman called Redding Police Department to complaint against Watenpaugh. She claimed that she was a victim of domestic abuse and even after she ended the relationship with her boyfriend, he continued to stalk and harass her. FOX 40 reports that the woman ended her relationship with him in late August and left his apartment. Since then, her pet Pomeranian named 'Bear' went missing.
Later, the couple tried to sort things out and Watenpaugh invited her for a dinner which he had himself cooked. After the meal, the boyfriend texted the woman, "How did your dog taste? I thought it was better with BBQ and those Hawaiian buns," according to CNN.
Then, one morning Watenpaugh left a small bag in her porch. The bag had two dog paws.
According to the police, Watenpaugh admitted to threatening the woman and leaving dog paws in the porch but denied killing the pet, reports The Times of India. After searching his house, cops found an AK-47 rifle and many high-capacity magazines.
The suspect has been charged on counts of domestic violence, false imprisonment, stalking and animal cruelty. TOI reports that Watenpaugh is in the Shasta County Jail on $ 250,000 bail.
