Jealous woman charged with hurting dog

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A 12-year-old Shitzu-mix dog named Chase was the brunt of alleged abuse by a woman who admitted to Austin police that she hurt the dog because she was jealous of it.

On Nov. 22, police were called to Building No. 7 at 6800 McNeil where Maria Martinez, 24, was arguing with her boyfriend, the dog's owner.

The man told police that Martinez took Chase from his truck and threw him into the large dumpster in front of their building. He told police the woman then got into the dumpster to retrieve the dog and threw Chase from above her head, slamming him onto the cement, where the dog lay unable to move.

A male witness who was nearby inside his car at the same time told police he saw Martinez throw the dog to the ground after getting it out of the dumpster, according to the police report.

The dog's owner also took police officers into his apartment and showed him the dog's blue-colored food bowl, which had been bleached white because Martinez had allegedly poured bleach on the dog's food to poison and kill the animal.

Martinez, talking through an interpreter, admitted to police that she and her boyfriend had argued all day, according to the affidavit. She told police she was mad and jealous of the dog, so she threw Chase in a dumpster, then got the dog out of the dumpster and threw it onto the concrete parking lot, according to the police warrant.

Martinez was charged with cruelty to animals, a state jail felony.

Chase was taken to a veterinarian for medical care.