Jesus Sandoval, 45, formerly of 313 Carol Joyce Dr., in Dalton entered a guilty plea Thursday to aggravated cruelty to animals. Sandoval entered the plea before Superior Court Judge Cindy Morris and was sentenced to serve two years in the Georgia State Penitentiary followed by three years suspended on banishment from the Conasauga Judicial Circuit, which consists of Whitfield and Murray counties.
Sandoval is a citizen of Mexico and it is expected that he will be deported upon his release from prison. Sandoval was in court for calendar call ahead of a scheduled trial date on Monday. Chief Assistant District Attorney Scott Minter prosecuted the case and handled the guilty plea. Sandoval was represented by Dalton attorney Jerry Moncus.
Sandoval was arrested on March 11 after witnesses observed him driving a green pickup truck on Mary Elizabeth Drive dragging a male German Shepherd dog behind it. A witness flagged down Sandoval to alert him that he was dragging the dog. Sandoval stopped his truck, got out, tightened the cable that tied the dog to the truck, and then got back into the truck and drove off, continuing to drag the dog down the road.
The witnesses called 911 and Whitfield County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffery Diak responded to the scene. After speaking to witnesses, Deputy Diak was able to trace a trail of blood on the pavement to the residence of Jesus Sandoval. There he found the green truck that witnesses had seen dragging the dog. There was still a black cable tied to the rear of the truck. He found the dog inside a fenced in area.
The dog had multiple cuts on all four legs and the skin from the dog’s paw pads was torn off. The dog could not stand up at that time. Sandoval stated to Deputy Diak that he was trying to teach the dog to follow the truck. Sandoval was arrested for aggravated cruelty to animals. The dog was taken for medical treatment and then released into the care of an animal rescue shelter, and has since been adopted, having recovered from its injuries.
District attorney Bert Poston said his office would like to thank Rita Burrows, owner Grand Paws Stay-n-Play Doggy Daycare, who financed the medical care for the dog, as well as the witnesses who stepped forward and reported the abuse and Deputy Jeffery Diak of the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, whose quick action led to the apprehension, arrest and conviction of Sandoval.