21 animals rescued from alleged Muncie dogfighting ring; woman arrested

MUNCIE, Ind. - A woman has been arrested after police say over 20 injured, flea-ridden animals were found at a Muncie home being used for an alleged dogfighting ring.




Eliza Henriquez, 36, was booked Sunday into Delaware County Jail for felony animal cruelty and misdemeanor animal neglect. Records show she has been arrested for animal neglect at least three other times since 2020 and has had animals removed from her home in the past.




Animal Control officers told Muncie police in early August that nearly 20 dogs were seen living in the backyard of a home in the 3000 block of Madison Street. Animal Control had reportedly received "numerous complaints" of several dogs fighting on the property.




After identifying Henriquez as the owner of the home, police reviewed her arrest records and contacted her local veterinary clinic. Doctors showed officers pictures of "deep lacerations" on one of her dogs' stomachs and said most of her 16 registered animals were flea-ridden and hurt.

Police were also shown a video of "a dog being attacked by a large group of dogs" in Henriquez's backyard and "being bitten and pulled in multiple directions." No people were shown in the video and no one appeared to intervene, police said.




Neighbors reported hearing dogfighting on Henriquez's property "two to three times per week" over the past year. One witness told police that they'd heard "puppies being attacked and killed by other dogs" in the backyard.




Officers executed a search warrant last Friday at the Madison Street home and reportedly found six cats and 15 dogs inside. One canine was found with "serious injuries" to its head and needed immediate medical attention. The home was reportedly "unkept and unsanitary."




However, Henriquez was nowhere to be found. Then, on Sunday, officers reportedly saw her driving and took her into custody during a traffic stop.




During an interview, Henriquez reportedly said she was aware of the dog attack video and that she had taken the injured canine to an Indianapolis vet. She said the 3-year-old dog died a day later in veterinary care, but deflected any blame.




"According to Eliza, the dog died as a result of its medical treatment and not the attack by the other dogs," police wrote.




When asked about the dog found in her home with a severe head injury, Henriquez reportedly said she had been trying to treat it herself. While being taken into custody, police said she also began saying other reasons she might be getting arrested.




"Eliza made multiple comments about and 'white' people being against her and her animals," police wrote. "She also made statements about her belief in vets wanting to drug animals and take people's money."




Henriquez was booked Sunday night into Delaware County Jail and was later released on a $10,000 bond. Online court records have not yet been updated to reflect official charges or an initial hearing date in her trial.





via: https://fox59.com/news/indynews/21-animals-rescued-from-alleged-muncie-dogfighting-ring-woman-arrested/