Police say the dog was in grave danger, but the owner says there is more to the story.
A Massachusetts man is facing animal cruelty charges after he allegedly abandoned his dog on a beach in Revere, by chaining the animal to a steal rod near the water, leaving the dog at the mercy of the next high tide.
State police announced Monday that Elias Pacheco-Osario, 27, of Revere, was arrested Friday following the attempted drowning incident at Short Beach the weekend prior.
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On Sunday, Aug. 29, Trooper Carlo Mastromattei responded to the Revere beach shortly after noon for a report of an abandoned dog tied to a pole along the shoreline.
There, he found the approximately 50-pound dog with a thick metal chain around his neck. The male pit bull mix was chained to an exposed steel rebar rod at the edge of the beach, which was protruding from the bottom of the ramp from Winthrop Parkway to Short Beach. There was also a large rock attached to the chain to prevent the dog from escaping, police said.
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Police allege Pacheco-Osario left his dog -- named "Killer" -- in a secluded portion of the beach close to the waterline. Had the dog not been found, he could have become submerged when the tide came in.
"During certain parts of the day this portion of the beach is completely submerged, with the tide rising as high as street level, past the point where the dog was chained," police said in a statement. "The dog was at risk drowning in a couple of hours if he hadn’t been found."
The dog was thankfully rescued by police and the owner of a Revere kennel. He has since been cared for at Ocean View Kennels in Revere.
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Once he helped save the dog, Mastromattei led the investigation -- even working when he was off the clock, state police said.
Mastromattei learned the suspect lived in an apartment not far from the beach, and he and another trooper canvassed the area around the beach for residential video surveillance. They were able to obtain video from three separate homes that showed a man walking the dog toward Short Beach.
A fourth video obtained by a Revere police detective showed the same man walking down the beach ramp to the sand with the dog. All four videos showed a metal chain collar and leash attached to the dog consistent with those found attached to the dog on scene, police said.
On Friday, Mastromattei went to a construction site in Wakefield after learning Pacheco-Osario was working there. Pacheco-Osario agreed to go in for an interview, and police say he confirmed during questioning that he was the dog's owner and had walked to the beach the previous Sunday, tied him to the steel rod, and walked away, abandoning him.
According to police, Pachecho-Osario said he decided he could not keep the dog any longer.
NBC10 Boston spoke to Pachecho-Osario Monday night and he admitted through an interpreter to leaving the dog there.
“I did it because my mind was overwhelmed and I didn’t know what to do,” he said.
Pacheco Osario also said his landlord wanted the dog gone. He said his wife is pregnant and the dog would often fight with his cat.
“I can’t deal with this anymore, I don’t know what to do so I sent emails, called the shelter. They didn’t answer to see if I can leave the dog there… and that’s why took my decision of leaving it there and I left it with food, and I know I did wrong,” he said.
Dog owners in Revere can't believe anyone would do this.
“This is horrible. We love animals. I love my dog. I walk it everyday," one person said. "This is something unbelievable. I can’t believe that happened here.”
Pacheco-Osario was placed under arrest for animal cruelty and then he posted $340 cash bail. He is expected to be arraigned in Chelsea District Court on Tuesday. It's unclear if he's obtained an attorney.
