The Office of the Attorney General on Monday announced a new grand jury indictment against Gerald Wayne Cruz II for a string of animal shootings in Yigo last year.
The case stems from the killing of a pet dog named Pugua, who was found shot to death in a Yigo family’s carport in September of 2018. More animals were later found fatally gunned down in the same neighborhood. Following a high profile two-week search, GPD arrested Mr. Cruz.
Earlier this year, a Superior Court of Guam judge dismissed all felony charges against Mr. Cruz, claiming the indictment failed to allege that Cruz had “cruelly killed” the animals as required by law. During the ensuing public outrage, Guam Animals In Need (GAIN) called upon the Attorney General to continue pursuing justice for Pugua.
Cruz is now charged with two counts of animal cruelty with a special allegation of use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony, three counts of possession of an unregistered firearm, and one count of unsworn falsification.
“We are very grateful to the Attorney General and his team for continuing this case. Our community stands strong against animal abuse, and we demand justice for Pugua,” said Cyrus Luhr, president of the GAIN board of directors.
“Pugua was a kind, loving family pet. Yet he was cruelly and violently murdered on private property. If his killer isn’t brought to justice, how can anyone feel safe in their homes?” said Luhr. “It’s important that our laws are enforced. We thank the Attorney General for filing felony charges against this admitted animal killer,” he added.