Man suspected of beating dog with shovel pleads not guilty

Authorities have arrested a Whitewater man suspected of severely beating a dog with a shovel, ultimately causing the animal’s death two days later.

According to John Welsh with the Riverside County Department of Animals, 54-year-old Efren Rodriguez Martinez was arrested in Coachella on Tuesday, July 7.

He was arraigned at the Larson Justice Center in Indio at 1:30 p.m. Friday where he plead not guilty to the charges.

The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office charged Martinez with felony animal cruelty. Officials said the complaint includes an allegation of personal use of a weapon.

If convicted, Martinez faces up to eight years in state prison.

The suspect disappeared before charges were filed. The sheriff’s department had been searching for him for close to three weeks.

as they sought for the 3-year-old terrier mix, which died at an Indio veterinary hospital on June 10.

Martinez is accused of repeatedly beating a 3-year-old terrier mix and then dumping it over a fence into a neighbor’s yard, officials with animal services said.

The dog died at an Indio veterinary hospital on June, 10, two days after the beating was reported.

Soon after the charges were filed, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Richard Erwood signed an arrest warrant and Riverside County Animal Services officers and sheriff’s deputies drove to Martinez’s property in Whitewater, just east of Cabazon.

Martinez couldn’t be found at his home on Kimdale Drive, launching the search. A trailer on his property was damaged from what appeared to be a recent fire. Officers said his mother lives next door to the property but she told deputies she didn’t know where her son was.

Authorities said Martinez has a prior strike (a first-degree burglary conviction from 1986). His bail amount was set at $100,000.

Police received a 911 call about 7 p.m. on Monday, June 8, reporting that a dog had been beaten and needed medical aid in the area of Kimdale Drive, north of Interstate 10, Welsh said.

Animal services officer Kyle Stephens responded and learned the dog was stray and being fed and cared for by several people in the neighborhood, some of whom took to calling the animal “Rusty.”

The dog had been hit so hard that one of his eyes popped out of its head, leaving several residents of the neighborhood traumatized and crying.

“I was pretty shocked by it,” Stephens said. “He looked horrible. I have never seen a dog with this type of trauma, with the exception of those that have been hit by cars.”

Caution: Graphic photo of ‘Rusty’s’ injuries

When Stephens approached the dog, he said it appeared motionless except when he gently lifted the dog, the animal tried to nip at him. Fortunately, a resident in the area had covered the dog with a blanket and Officer Stephens was able to safely carry the dog to his truck, according to the release.

“Rusty” was taken to VCA Animal Medical Center in Indio — which contracts to provide medical care for the county animal services department — where he died Wednesday night, despite receiving around-the-clock intensive care.

“This dog was the victim of major trauma to the head and body,” said Dr. Allan Drusys, the county’s chief veterinarian. “It is unconscionable that anyone would inflict these injuries upon a defenseless dog. Unfortunately, in spite of the best medical care this dog received, he succumbed to his wounds.”

Animal services officials requested a necropsy be performed and said they would submit a report to the district attorney’s office seeking felony charges.

News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will follow this case closely and provide updates as the investigation moves forward.