In a deeply unsettling incident reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, a chihuahua named Chiquilin was fatally beaten by a neighbor in West Valley. The dog’s owner, Brianna Camacho, expressed her profound grief, saying, “When we woke up this morning, you just felt the sadness.” The suspect, Kenneth McGaughey, defended his actions by claiming he was protecting his pet from the chihuahua, which had somehow entered his yard and attacked his cat.
No arrests were initially made due to a lack of immediate evidence. However, Peoria Police have recommended felony animal cruelty charges against McGaughey after footage of the incident became available, enabling them to view the alleged crime. Despite the video’s description to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, no official statement regarding potential charges has been released. “I didn’t wanna kill [the dog],” McGaughey said, maintaining his stance that his intentions were purely defensive.
Additional details from 12News reveal the couple’s traumatic discovery of their dog upon returning home. Isaac Zuniga, Camacho’s partner, recalled the horror, saying, “I get upset every time I see that video. I get really mad.” Dashcam video caught the neighbor wielding a shovel and using it to beat the six-pound chihuahua and subsequently throwing it over the fence. The neighbor’s claim to police was that he meant to “smack the dog on the butt” as an act of self-defense to guard his cat and chickens, an explanation met with skepticism from Zuniga and Camacho…