Man accused of dumping dead puppy in alley found, police say

A man wanted in an animal cruelty case out of Scottsdale, where a husky puppy was found dead this past summer, was arrested Friday in Alabama and was being extradited to Maricopa County to face charges.

Lester Paul Richmond, 36, was facing a Grand Jury warrant for animal cruelty after a Dec. 20 indictment on one count of intentionally subjecting a domestic animal to cruel mistreatment, a Class 5 felony, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Richmond was arrested Friday in Troy, Alabama, and would be extradited in the next 30 days, the County Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday. Jail records from Pike County, Alabama, showed Richmond was booked into custody on a fugitive from justice charge, as of Wednesday morning.

Richmond was initially arrested during a traffic stop, according to Scottsdale police.

This past summer, Scottsdale police found a dead husky puppy with its mouth taped shut in a city alley, according to the County Attorney’s Office.

At the time, police found evidence related to the animal cruelty case when a search warrant was served on Richmond’s house, officials said. He was identified as the puppy’s owner after detectives found surveillance video showing his car in the alley at the same time the husky was left there, according to police.

Detectives uncovered evidence of Richmond discussing getting rid of the dog on video surveillance, police detailed. He was booked in July in Maricopa County on an animal cruelty charge, police noted.

“Cruelty to animals is a senseless and heinous crime,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement at the time. “My office takes that crime very, very seriously.” It was not immediately clear when Richmond became a fugitive of the law.