On a recent Sunday, resident Filiberto Reyes thought his beloved husky had once again gotten out of the fenced front yard.
Hours later, a neighbor showed him a disturbing video circulating online of a dog that had been hanged in a Lynwood alley less than a mile from Reyes’ home. It was Ruso, he said.
“It’s like losing a son,” Reyes told The Times on Monday night. “The way he died. … No words can describe it.” He exhaled.
The 9-year-old husky was described by Reyes as a playful dog who was gentle with children. Ruso liked to stand up on his hind paws to hug people using his front paws, Reyes said.
Reyes didn’t see the incident that neighbors said unfolded the afternoon of Oct. 4. A man and a woman were seen outside the fence, he said. The woman was bitten by the dog, and the pair let the dog out of the yard, luring him out with food, according to Reyes.
Reyes believes the pair agitated the dog, who reacted in self-defense.
Ruso was found dead later that evening, hanged with an orange leash from a metal security door, according to a video shared on social media.
Reyes said the dog was found behind a doughnut shop and laundromat on Long Beach Boulevard. He never saw Ruso’s body. By the time Reyes arrived at the scene on Sunday evening, authorities had taken Ruso away.
Reyes said he’d seen the man he suspected was responsible in Lynwood since the incident and notified authorities. There have been no arrests.
Lynwood City Councilman Luis Cuellar said he was made aware on social media of the disturbing incident and notified the city manager, who then launched an investigation.
“The City of Lynwood is deeply saddened and disturbed by the reported animal cruelty incident that has caused significant concern throughout our community,” the city said in a statement released Friday. “We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the dog’s owner and to everyone affected by this deeply troubling situation.”
As outcry over the incident grew online, the city issued a follow-up statement just hours later, saying it “understands the concern and sadness this reported incident has caused throughout our community.”
A deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Century Station said Monday night that the department had received hundreds of emails regarding the husky’s death.
The city encouraged anyone who “witnessed the incident or has video, photographs or other relevant information” to contact Det. Christina Smith at (213) 678-5402.
Reyes, 34, an aerospace quality inspector, said he and his family no longer feel safe living in Compton after what happened. They are considering moving elsewhere, perhaps to Bellflower or Lakewood.
He said he just wants the investigation to conclude and to get justice for Ruso.