A California police canine underwent surgery after reportedly taking down a wanted carjacking suspect following a high-speed chase through the streets of Orange County.
KCBS reported that Santa Ana police dog Puskas lost all his teeth–except for his canine teeth—during Monday’s incident. The dog was treated at VCA Yorba Regional Animal Hospital; it’s not immediately known when he’ll be released.
Puskas is being credited with apprehending wanted felon Antonio Padilla Jr., 37, who fled after being spotted in his pickup truck. According to the station, the parolee was wanted for allegedly almost hitting a policewoman during a traffic stop in Garden Grove last week.
KCBS also reported that Padilla had a gun in his pickup truck at the time of Monday’s run-in. After banging up his truck, aerial cameras apparently caught Padilla exiting his truck then carjacking a woman.
The woman’s brother is then seen driving up to the scene and trying to get the suspect out of his sister’s Audi SUV. The suspect is seen almost pinning the man between his pickup truck and stolen SUV as he pulls off.
Padilla allegedly crashed the SUV moments later and ran away on foot. He didn’t get far before Puskas leaped into the air and took him down.
Lieutenant Carl Whitney told KTLA that Padilla, a parolee on early release, was previously jailed on a domestic violence charge.
Garden Grove police will investigate the alleged assault while authorities in Irvine will take the lead regarding the carjacking charge. Additionally, California Highway Patrol will investigate the crash that occurred on the 405 during Monday’s chase.
Padilla was treated for dog bites and is expected to recover.
This K-9 can absolutely FLY! Watch as this wild Southern California police chase comes to an abrupt end after a K-9 sprints and leaps into action, tackling the suspect to the ground and holding him there until his partners arrive to cuff him.
Posted by WVTM 13 on Monday, February 26, 2018
[Featured Image: Facebook video screengrab]
