A man beheaded his roommate’s dog as she was moving out of their shared house because of a financial dispute, officials said on Tuesday.
Jose Vega Meza, a 21-year-old living in a suburb outside of Phoenix, Arizona, has been arrested over suspicion of mutilating the animal.
He told investigators he killed the dog over the weekend because his roommate owed rent money to his mother, who owns the home in the city of Buckeye, according to police.
The owner of the dog told police she had lost track of her pet while moving her belongings out of the home, before spotting Mr Meza sneaking a box onto her truck.
When she opened the box, she found her headless dog inside.
Police did not immediately provide additional information about the dog’s breed, but said it was small.
The dog’s owner was so distraught that she was unable to call authorities until the next day, police said.
Mr Meza told investigators that he killed other animals around his neighbourhood, including a cat he said he drowned, police said in court documents.
He was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty stemming from the killing of the dog on Saturday.
Mr Meza was also booked for misdemeanour assault for attacking another inmate after he was booked in jail, investigators said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
