Man charged with tossing puppy out car window
A Chicago man has been charged with cruel treatment of an animal in connection to an incident in which a dog was thrown out of the window of a vehicle earlier this month in Elmhurst, police said today.
Sergiu E. Muresan, 26, of the 2400 block of West Greenshaw Avenue, surrendered at the Elmhurst Police Station Tuesday, police said. He is charged with a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine, according to a news release from Elmhurst police.
On Dec. 10, witnesses reported that a dog was thrown out of the driver's side window of a vehicle stopped in traffic at North Avenue and Illinois Highway 83. The vehicle fled the scene, and a good Samaritan picked up the dog and brought it to a fitness center until police arrived, according to reports.
"A witness grabbed the license (plate number), followed the car and tried to get him to stop," Elmhurst Deputy Police Chief Dan Buenz said.
The investigation led to Muresan, Buenz said. Muresan voluntarily came to the Elmhurst Police Station after being contacted. Muresan has been released and is due in court Jan. 24.
Buenz said Muresan told police the dog was a stray and he was not the owner. Police are not commenting on a possible motive.
The black and white puppy, which has been named Ralphie after a character in the 1983 holiday classic "A Christmas Story," is in good condition in DuPage Animal Hospital in Villa Park. A woman who answered the phone at the hospital said Ralphie is "happy and healthy." The hospital estimates the puppy is 6- to 8-months old.
More than 50 people have stepped forward to adopt the dog after hearing of the story. But the process may take some time. Ralphie will not be transferred to the West Suburban Humane Society in Downers Grove, which will handle the adoption, until the new year.
Police are also trying to find more about the history of the dog, but have so far come up empty. The front paws were shaved, which led police to suspect that the dog recently had an intravenous drip, which was most likely administered by a veterinarian. Buenz said police have contacted veterinarians to see if they could identify Ralphie, but have not made any connections.
Anyone interested in adoption can call 630-960-9600.
