Irvine man accused of beating service dog to death faces animal cruelty charges
An Irvine man who faces two counts of animal cruelty in the beating death of a service dog for defecating in his car in Santa Ana has been arrested after skipping out on a court hearing.
Randy Francois, 40, was first arrested by the Santa Ana Police Department on June 28, when officers found a dead Yorkshire terrier in a parking lot in the 1500 block of East 17th Street, said Sgt. Maria Lopez.
Francois told officers the dog defecated in his car and he “took it out on the dog,” Lopez said.
L.A. City Councilman Paul Koretz called for sweeping changes at the Animal Services department after Times reporting on poor conditions for the animals.
Officers found no weapons in the vehicle and believe Francois beat the dog with his hands, Lopez said, killing the service dog.
According to court records, Francois posted a $20,000 bond June 30 and was set to appear back in court Sept. 27 to face two felony counts of cruelty to animals.
Francois missed the court hearing, according to court records, and was taken back into custody Tuesday. Jail records show he is in custody in Orange County’s Central Jail with $21,000 bail.
He is scheduled to appear in court Monday for an arraignment hearing.
L.A. Animal Services recently began allowing volunteers to handle dogs — sometimes abused or neglected — who are considered evidence in legal cases and spend months or even years at a shelter.
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