A 25-year-old Virginia man faces multiple charges after police said he fatally stabbed a dog that was out on a walk with its owner.
The tragic incident happened Sunday night in the Falls Church area of Northern Virginia, police said. The suspect reportedly stabbed the dog near an intersection, and the dog later had to be euthanized.
There were no other injuries reported from the incident, Falls Church police said. There were no details released on a possible motive.
Officers were able to identify a possible suspect, later said to be Reyan Hassan Ibrahim, thanks to witnesses who noted the suspect’s license plate after the attack.
One day later, Ibrahim was stopped by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority near Dulles International Airport. Police said he was arrested and extradited to Falls Church.
According to court records, he has been charged with animal cruelty, malicious wounding and destruction of property.
Animal cruelty is a class 6 felony in Virginia.
"Our hearts go out to the family of this dog," said Falls Church Acting Police Chief Jiwan Chhetri. "Pets are members of the family, and we grieve along with them. We give our thanks to our colleagues at the MWAA Police Department for their swift action. We also thank the community members who took down the license plate information when they saw this heinous attack — it was a critical piece in catching this suspect."
