A man who reportedly punched a dog repeatedly at the Lowe’s in Harrisonburg just before Easter has been arrested for animal cruelty.
David Joseph Liguori, 35, of Harrisonburg, was taken into custody without incident this morning.
After a thorough investigation, he is charged with cruelty to animals, hit and run and a city ordinance related to animals in a vehicle.
A Harrisonburg animal control officer took possession of the abused dog, Ralphie, who was taken to the Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA where he is awaiting evaluation from a veterinarian.
The charges come after a social media uproar when a couple reported that they witnessed a male striking a dog inside a parked pick-up truck on April 18 at the Lowe’s on Linda Lane. Witnesses attempted to intervene and offered to take the dog, but the driver fled to parking lot striking another vehicle as he left.
A grainy image of a silver Dodge truck flooded social-media feeds, and the Harrisonburg Police Department acknowledged it was investigating the incident.
Witnesses reported that they heard a man yelling and a dog whelping. The dog was jerked to the driver seat, and witnesses said he began punching the dog full force. He later flung the dog to the passenger seat and continued punching it with the dog “whining like no other.”
Liguori is no stranger to the police or courts. A search of the state online court database shows he was the defendant in more than 60 cases including public swearing, intoxication, drug possession, shoplifting, reckless driving, assault, destruction of property and obstructing justice.
Tips used to help identify this suspect were submitted through tip411, HPD’s anonymous tipping software. Anyone with information on this case, or other active investigations, may call Crime Solvers at (540) 574-5050 or visit www.harrisonburgva.gov/tip-411. Tips may also be submitted online or by texting HPDVA and your tip to 847411.
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Crystal Graham
