PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — A month after a burglary at a Woodbridge apartment resulted in a couple's 8-month-old puppy being brutally beaten, a couple has some closure with the arrest of a suspect.
Just before 12:30 p.m. on July 6, police found themselves responding to Misty Ridge Apartments, located on Sequoia Court, to find Teddy, the poodle, hiding under a bed with severe bruising to his head and his eye so damaged it would need to be surgically removed.
On the morning of Aug. 7, a month later, the suspect was spotted in the area of where the crime first happened. Officers with the Prince William Police Department responded to the area, talked to the man matching the description and ultimately determined he was involved in the burglary.
The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Umair Nauman Khan, was arrested and charged with burglary and cruelty to animals, police said.
"It is something that you just can't let go easily. Especially the way it happened, him breaking in and him physically assaulting our dog, and now we know he physically punched him," said Darwin Orellano to WUSA9.
Orellano says his father saw the suspect walking in Woodbridge so he decided to follow him and contact police. Prince William County Police later arrested Khan, but released on bail. He is set appear at the Prince William County Court on Oct. 24.
There's still no answer to lead to the brutal attack. "It is satisfying to know who did this, but at this point we just want justice," said Orellano.
Teddy's owners say the violent incident made the puppy more nervous and kept the entire family on edge. Nothing was stolen from their home, but the couple still does not have an answer as to what led to the attack.
A GoFundMe account was developed for the young couple after the incident and an outpouring of support from pet owners across the country was received. In total, $13,057 was raised to help them pay for the rising vet bills.
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