EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — A man suspected of burning a stray dog inside a crate in East Cleveland earlier this month was arrested Tuesday, East Cleveland police confirmed.
Antonio Dinel Johnson was arrested in the 3600 block of Silsby Road Tuesday afternoon without incident, police said. He will make his initial appearance at the East Cleveland Municipal Court. Police will be seeking felony charges for animal cruelty.
East Cleveland police were assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cleveland Animal Protective League in Johnson’s apprehension.
The apprehension comes one day after the Cleveland APL announced a $2,000 reward for information leading to the perpetrator's arrest.
On Sept. 6, in a parking structure for an apartment complex in the 16000 block of Nelacrest in East Cleveland, a stray dog was set on fire. The severely burned dog was taken to Rainbow Veterinary Clinic where it had to be euthanized because of the severity and extent of its injuries.
Residents of an apartment complex on Nelacrest Road said they found the stray dog and took it in, police said.
When the residents realized they didn’t have room in their apartment for the dog, they placed it in a crate and left it in the parking garage, according to police. While the dog was in the crate, an unknown person, now believed to be Johnson, came with a possible accelerant and lit the crate on fire, with the dog still inside, police said.
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