Animal abuser released to immigration agents
December 19, 2015
Duanying Chen
A man who abused his girlfriend’s puppy so severely it had to be euthanized was released Friday from the Santa Barbara County Jail into the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE).
On May 14, 2014, Santa Barbara police responded to a Central Coast veterinary clinic where a 5-month-old male Doberman pinscher puppy was being treated for broken bones, infections and burns over 80 percent of his body. A few weeks earlier, Chen had assaulted his girlfriend; strangling her until she nearly lost consciousness, police said.
In May, Duanying Chen pleaded guilty to two felony counts of animal cruelty, felony assault, witness dissuasion, and violating a court order and was sentenced to one year in the Santa Barbara County Jail. Because of good behavior, he was scheduled for early release mid-December.
On Friday, because an ICE detainer was in place, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office released Chen directly into ICE custody.
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