Austin police have issued arrest warrants for two men after more than a dozen dogs were found in a creek earlier this year.
AUSTIN, Texas — Following a months-long investigation, two men are now tied to a disturbing dog dumping case.
Residents living in a South Austin neighborhood near South Boggy Creek made the gruesome discovery in April.
Near the popular walking trail, neighbors said they found nearly a dozen dogs dead in the creek. Some were surrounded by household trash, while others were wrapped in pee pads, fast food wrappers and trash bags.
Investigators are now charging 61-year-old Fred John Riess and 51-year-old Rafael Cantu-Baez Riess with multiple misdemeanors for animal cruelty and felonies for dumping the dogs in the waterway.
Court documents show the men were moving out of their home on Shiloh Drive near Menchaca Road after buying a new home in Cameron, which is about 80 miles northwest of Austin.
About 30 days before the dogs were discovered in the creek, their realtor noticed several different types of animals on the property. According to police, when the realtor asked if they needed help relocating the animals, they refused.
However, during an inspection of the property, the realtor found several ducks abandoned in the backyard. That’s when the dogs were found in the creek less than 50 yards from the home. Court documents state that 15 deceased dogs were removed from the area.
Neighbors who lived nearby said they were horrified.
“I was kind of freaked out someone like that had been living in our neighborhood, especially like two doors down from me,” Kathleen Klein said.
After getting a warrant to search the Riess’ new home in Milam County, police said they found more dead animals in a freezer that looked similar to the ones found in the creek.
The Riess’ former home was sold to another person and renovated, but Klein said the property was in shambles before that. A detective found three bins in the garage, one of which contained a medical wrapper that appeared similar to wrapping around one of the dogs.
“It was like completely overgrown,” Klein said. “You could barely even see the house and there’s just like a bunch of no trespassing signs. I just, kind of, always got a weird vibe.”
Klein said she rarely saw the people who lived inside or their animals, but that you could hear dogs barking and roosters crowing if you walked by.
Mike Linare, who lived right across the street, knew the Riess for decades and had occasional conversations with them or let them borrow tools. He said they often stuck to themselves.
“All I could tell was that the place started looking like it was not being kept up and it was deteriorating,” Linares said. “I suspect that maybe his behavior was deteriorating as well.”
Residents said the incident shook their neighborhood. They hosted a memorial for the dogs, saying many of them are pet owners themselves and they can’t imagine how someone could not love and care for their companions.
“I was totally devastated,” Linares said. “I just can’t believe that sense of cruelty to kill all of those dogs when they could have found homes for them. They could have taken them to some shelter or they could have asked for help.”
Meanwhile, police said neither man has been arrested at this time.
“It’s really sad about the dogs. I still think about it and every time I go back on that trail,” Klein said. “I try to send out good vibes.”
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