Case of stolen PTSD service dog ends in tragedy, Columbus authorities say
Authorities believe they have solved the mystery of Whiz, a $4,500 service dog that has been missing since September.
A Muscogee County grand jury on Jan. 31 indicted Jimmy Lee Gonzales, 39, on one count of aggravated animal cruelty and two counts of tampering with evidence. He was arrested this week in Bulloch County, Ga., while in court on a domestic matter. Gonzales was booked into the Muscogee County Jail on Thursday.
Gonzales is accused of shooting Whiz, a brindle pit bull that was a trained Post Traumatic Stress Disorder service dog. The indictment, obtained by Muscogee County Assistant District Attorney William Hocutt IV, alleges that the dog’s body was then concealed.
The story came to light on September when Gonzales and Kimberly Jordan, 24, were arrested and charged with one count each of felony theft by taking, misdemeanor obstruction of law enforcement and two counts of cruelty to children.
Gonzales was released from the Muscogee County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
Gonzales and Jordan were captured on video leaving a Winifred Lane home with the dog, according to Columbus police. They also were accused of leaving two children, ages 6 and 10, in the home alone for several hours.
Columbus police reached out to the public to ask for help locating Whiz.
Attorney Stacey Jackson represents Gonzalez and said his client will likely be arraigned in the next two weeks.
“I have not seen the indictment,” Jackson said Friday morning. “It is my understanding that there has been additional evidence.”
Hocutt could not be reached for comment.
A Facebook post that had more than 160 shares and comments by Friday morning revealed details of the missing dog’s fate.
“Learning of Whiz’s death has been heartbreaking and draining,” the Facebook post said. “We had been searching for months for a dead dog, but never would have thought the end result was what we have had to face.”
The post indicted how special the dog was: “... He will NEVER ever be forgotten, and we will do whatever we can to make sure that sick human does not get the chance to hurt anyone else, or any other life, again,” her post read in part.
Staff writer Sarah Robinson contributed to this report.
Chuck Williams: 706-571-8510, @chuckwilliams
This story was originally published February 10, 2017 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Case of stolen PTSD service dog ends in tragedy, Columbus authorities say."