Man accused of throwing dogs in Las Cruces barricade incident faces animal cruelty charges
A Las Cruces man faces two felony animal cruelty charges after police say he threw two dogs during a domestic incident that later involved gunfire and a barricade.
Court records say the incident escalated after his mother fired a gun inside the home, prompting a barricade situation
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
LAS CRUCES - A Las Cruces man faces two felony counts of extreme cruelty to animals after police say he threw two dogs during a domestic incident that escalated into a barricade situation.
Officers responded around 7:48 p.m. April 14 to a home on Moon River Loop after receiving a report of shots fired, according to a criminal complaint filed in Doña Ana County Magistrate Court.
Police learned a man had barricaded himself inside the home with a knife after his mother fired a gun in his direction, court records show. The man later told officers he believed the bullet passed by his head.
Investigators identified the man as Rudy Esteban Baca.
According to the statement of probable cause, Baca’s mother told officers she had left the home earlier in the day and returned around 7:30 p.m., when she saw one of her dogs outside and noticed feces inside the house.
She then reviewed video footage on her phone that showed Baca throwing two dogs, prompting her to confront him, according to the report.
The footage allegedly shows Baca picking up one dog and throwing it into a television, causing the animal to yelp, and throwing another dog against a table leg, court records state.
Officers reported that both dogs were seen after the incident and did not appear to have visible external injuries, though they recommended a veterinary evaluation to check for internal injuries.
During an interview with police, Baca said he had experienced a “mental breakdown” related to conditions in the home and “snapped,” taking out his frustration on the dogs, according to the report.
He told officers he did not remember exactly what happened but acknowledged the video footage and said, “I didn’t mean to,” court records show.
After the confrontation, Baca said his mother retrieved a handgun and fired toward him, prompting him to shut himself in a bedroom, arm himself with a knife and barricade the door until officers arrived.
Baca is charged with two counts of extreme cruelty to animals, each a fourth-degree felony.
Court records do not indicate that any charges have been filed against his mother in connection with the shooting.
Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.
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