Man arrested on animal cruelty charges for allegedly beating senior lab on downtown Houston rooftop

Manuel Salvatierra, 24, was arrested and charged with cruelty and torture to non-livestock animals. Manuel Salvatierra, 24, was arrested and charged with cruelty and torture to non-livestock animals. Photo: Houston Police Department/Houston SPCA Photo: Houston Police Department/Houston SPCA Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Man arrested on animal cruelty charges for allegedly beating senior lab on downtown Houston rooftop 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

A man has been arrested on animal cruelty charges after he was allegedly seen on video beating a senior black Labrador named "Bear" on the rooftop of a downtown Houston apartment complex.

Manuel Salvatierra, 24, was arrested and charged with cruelty and torture to non-livestock animals, according to Harris County court records.

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Animal cruelty investigators with the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals presented videos to the Houston Police Department of a man beating Bear on March 29 on the rooftop of an apartment complex located off Main Street in downtown Houston. The man was later identified by police as Salvatierra, and he was arrested on a felony warrant.

In a series of videos, Salvatierra can allegedly be seen physically punching, kicking and dragging the dog multiple times, court records show. In a few of the videos, the suspect can be seen looking around him before allegedly punching and hitting the dog, as if he is trying to look for witnesses.

Court records state the dog did not appear to provoke the attacks.

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Bear was taken to the Houston SPCA's medical center campus to undergo exams, according to a release from the shelter. He will be taken care of until a virtual court hearing is scheduled for later this month.

The SPCA relies solely on donations to care for animals like Bear. To donate to the organization, click here.

Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com