LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A man is accused by police of killing his girlfriend's Chihuahua after she says he lost $500 at a downtown Las Vegas casino, according to an arrest report.
Police documents show Walter Stevenson was arrested on Jan. 2 and charged with cruelty to animals.
According to the arrest report, he won around $500 at the Suncoast hotel-casino on that day and then lost the money at Plaza hotel-casino hours later. His girlfriend told police that losing the money had made Stevenson "irritated" and in a "bad" mood for the "rest of the day."
Around 3 p.m., police say Stevenson was left alone in an apartment with his girlfriend's two small dogs while she and her grandson went shopping at Walmart.
She told police that her little dog, Star, had never gotten accustomed to Stevenson's presence and would bark and growl at him.
According to the report, Stevenson called his girlfriend around 6 p.m. and said she needed to return home because Star was "sick." When she came home, the report says Star was dead with a small amount of blood around his jaw.
Stevenson denied harming the dog, the report shows.
During an interview with police, he told officers he got into a fight with his girlfriend over $500 that she stole and then left the apartment. When he returned, he said, Star was dead on the floor.
Star's owner told police the Chihuahua was 3 years old and in good health and had no known medical problems. She also said Star was fine earlier in the day.
Stevenson suggested to police that the other dog may have caused the injuries to Star, the report says.
The officer who filed the report says the injuries were likely caused by someone hitting the dog in the head and were not consistent with injuries from two dogs fighting.
Stevenson faces one count of willfully or maliciously torture, maim, mutilate, or kill dog, cat or animal (NRS 574.100.6A).
