Police: Teen admits abandoning stolen SUV with dog inside, leaving pet to die
A teenager has pleaded guilty in juvenile court to stealing an SUV with a dog inside one afternoon this summer, then abandoning the vehicle and leaving the pet behind to die.
A Subaru Outback, its engine running, was stolen on July 24 while parked outside a restaurant near Payne and Sims avenues as the driver was picking up food. Inside was GoGo, a German shepherd-husky mix, owned by Katie Klaren, of St. Paul.
The vehicle was discovered three days later nearly 4 miles to the west in the 1000 block of Ryde Street. GoGo was dead inside.
Along with pleading guilty in Ramsey County District Court to animal cruelty and auto theft in connection with the dog's death, the teen also admitted to shooting a young person in the leg outside the Frogtown Recreation Center on May 20.
Police are not saying how they identified the teenager as the suspect, when he was arrested or when he pleaded guilty. They also are withholding the teen's identity, citing his age.
"We're proud of the great work of everyone involved in the investigations," read a police statement announcing the guilty pleas. "Thank you all for your dedication, persistence and unwavering commitment to getting justice for crime victims."
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
