Man charged with animal cruelty

Special to the NEWS

LOS FRESNOS, TX —On Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, Cameron County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to 32000 block of Mescal St., about an alleged assault.

According to a Cameron County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) report, upon arrival, deputies made contact with a male who was identified as the victim. According to the report, the reporting party told deputies that he was sitting on the couch when his son, Seth Armando Martinez, asked to use his cell phone. The report reads that the father agreed to let his son use his cell phone.

The father then told deputies that Seth proceeded to go outside and use the phone for approximately 10 minutes. The father stated that his son returned inside and appeared upset as he gave the phone back to his father.

The father further told deputies that after several minutes, his son returned and grabbed the reported victim’s phone from his hands and said, “I’m going to break your phone” and then walked outside. The victim further stated that his son threw the cell phone against the wooden porch, causing it to break. The reporting party further alleged that his son came back into the home and intentionally struck him to the left side of his ear, causing him pain.

During his interview, the victim further said that accused perpetrator placed his golden retriever inside an abandoned vehicle that was located on the property. Deputies approached the abandoned vehicle and located the golden retriever lying on the floor, unresponsive, and having difficulty breathing. Deputies conducted a follow-up investigation where they located security footage of the incident, according to the CCSO.

In said security footage, deputies viewed the accused and the golden retriever entering the abandoned vehicle through the driver’s side. Deputies reportedly then viewed Seth Martinez exiting the vehicle, closing the door behind him, and leaving the golden retriever inside the vehicle.

Deputies also viewed Martinez causing damage to the vehicle by hitting it with a large boulder. Deputies viewed Martinez then walking away from the vehicle, while the golden retriever stayed inside it during extreme heat, without any open doors or windows for ventilation, and without proper food, water, or shelter, the report reads. Deputies were able to determine the golden retriever was inside the vehicle for one hour and 17 minutes, according to the CCSO.

Martinez was placed under arrest for Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals, a Class “A” Misdemeanor, and Assault Family Violence, also a Class “A” Misdemeanor. He was booked into the Cameron County Carrizales Rucker Detention Center in Olmito without incident. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.