ST. GEORGE — An incident involving ownership and care of a litter of bulldog puppies resulted in one man’s arrest Friday night.
And after the crate of puppies went missing and eventually was found, one of the puppies died.
Alberto Brambila, 27, was arrested and transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility and booked into jail shortly before midnight Friday facing multiple charges, including first-degree felony aggravated robbery.
He also faces two second-degree felony charges, including one count each of theft and burglary, as well as a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault.
Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Friday, officers were dispatched to a residence near Trailblazer Boulevard, just east of Bluff Street in St. George, on a report of a robbery.
When they arrived, according to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest, investigators learned that two suspects entered the home and reportedly struck the tenant in the face, took a “kennel full of puppies” and ran from the residence.
The report also states that officers found the 911 caller bleeding from the mouth with visible injuries to his face.
While patrol initiated a canvass of the area in search of the two men, the report states that Brambila returned to the home and confronted the caller.
Brambila told officers that earlier that day, he and his friend arrived at the residence to discuss the agreement the two had entered into involving the breeding and sale of a litter of French bulldog puppies.
‘Pick of the litter’
The suspect said he owned the male dog, adding that part of the agreement was that he would receive the pick of the litter in exchange for providing his dog to sire the litter – an arrangement that Brambila said the parties entered into months before.
He told authorities a disagreement erupted regarding the care of the puppies, so Brambila had gone to the residence to collect them, adding he did not break into the home, as the claimant had said, but said he was invited in.
The suspect also told officers that earlier that day, the occupant was “supposedly robbed,” the suspect was concerned for the safety of the litter and the complainant had “too many problems” and was unable to care for the animals, the report states.
Brambila also denied stealing the puppies, as the reporting party had claimed, and initially told officers he could return the puppies to the occupant. He also claimed it was another individual who had stolen the puppies.
The suspect also said it was while he was collecting the puppies, he alleged it was the caller who attacked him, punching him in the face, he said. As the altercation was taking place, the suspect told officers, two other men grabbed the kennel of puppies and fled from the residence.
The officer also noted the suspect “continued stating that he had shown up to take ‘his’ dogs.”
The 911 caller was interviewed separately and reportedly told police that prior to the incident, one of his friends was due to arrive so the two could hang out at the house, but when the friend arrived, he said, Brambila and another man came “barging through the door.”
Once inside, the complainant said Brambila started to remove the kennel that contained the seven puppies.
The caller added he yelled at the suspect to stop, but Brambila was undeterred and a tussle ensued. The suspect reportedly assaulted the caller and “continuously punched him with a closed fist,” according to the report.
The reporting party also said as he was trying to ward off the assault, another man entered the kitchen, grabbed a knife and told the caller he “was going to kill him,” investigators noted in the report.
As the assault continued, the caller alleged the other man dropped the knife and ran from the residence carrying the kennel with the seven puppies.
The caller also told the suspects he was going to call police if they did not leave, he said, which is when the suspect reportedly told him if he did call, then they would come back for the reporting party’s son.
The resident also denied that attacked the suspect, adding the injuries to Brambila resulted from the suspect jumping the fence as he fled.
Officers also learned the value of each of the puppies was $4,000-$5,000 a piece, making the total loss as high as $35,000.
At the scene, officers also learned the crate of puppies had been abandoned a short distance from the residence, but when officers combed the area, they were unable to locate both the puppies and the second suspect.
Less than two hours after the initial call to police, the victim called 911 reporting he had located the crate of puppies and that one of the puppies “was dying.”
‘Extensive criminal history involving violent acts‘
The arresting officer requested that Brambila be held without bail, citing the suspect “has an extensive criminal history involving violent acts,” in addition to the threats officers allege he made to the reporting party in the case.
Instead, the suspect was held on $10,000 bail until his release the following day after posting a bond.
On Tuesday, formal charges were filed against the suspect.
The distressed puppy died shortly after being discovered in the crate, according to a supplemental report that was confirmed with authorities.
No further information on the second suspect reportedly involved in the incident was available at the time of this report.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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