PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — A 19-year-old Port St. Lucie man is facing a third-degree felony charge after a family pet was discovered dead, weighted down by a dumbbell in the North Fork of the St. Lucie River.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said on the morning of March 2, a maintenance worker at River Park Marina was alerted by a citizen to a suspicious object submerged in the water. Using a tool to retrieve the item, the worker recovered a black backpack. Upon opening the bag, authorities found a deceased small Chihuahua sealed inside a plastic bag along with a 25-pound dumbbell. While no external trauma was immediately visible, investigators noted blood inside the plastic bag.
Witnesses at the scene reported seeing a young male in red clothing acting “nervous or suspicious” near the water shortly before the discovery. Though a canvas of the area was initially unsuccessful, a microchip scan of the dog eventually led deputies to a residence on SE Tranquilla Ave…