- New Mexico, USA -
The Rio Rancho Police Department arrested 36-year-old SHEILA RENEE BACA (pictured), former groomer at Pet Paradise on Quantum Road in Rio Rancho.
According to a criminal complaint filed with the Sandoval County Magistrate Court, BACA called the authorities and claimed that her manager had elbowed her in the face.
Responding officers reviewed security footage and there was no evidence of the manager’s assault.
When they spoke with the manager, they learned that BACA had been terminated for animal cruelty. The manager showed police video footage in which BACA could be seen repeatedly hitting a Husky she was grooming. Moreover, the dog was not properly secured to the grooming table, causing him/her to keep falling off. The manager said that as soon as a member of staff reported the incident to her, BACA was fired.
The manager further told officers that when she searched BACA’s bags, she found items that BACA had taken totaling to about $500.
BACA, of Los Lunas, was arrested on July 22, 2024, for animal cruelty and larceny.
At the time of writing, records show she is no longer in custody.
Pet Paradise‘s Vice President Of Marketing and Communications Kristen Petrillo Majdanics tells me that the furvictim “was a two-year-old female. During the incident, she did not sustain any injuries that required veterinary care. Our team checked in with her pet parent multiple times and learned the dog is at home eating, drinking, and playing as normal.”
KRQE reports that court records show BACA has been charged twice before for failing to care for her dogs, in 2019, in Bernalillo County and in 2022, in Valencia County. Those cases were dropped pending further investigation.
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Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from KRQE. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.
In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.
BACA’s mugshot provided to Voice For Us by the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office
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