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WEST VALLEY CITY — A man accused of biting a police service dog on the neck and clawing his face — all while he was naked — was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.
Erasmo Guadalupe Garcia-Serna, 27, was charged in 3rd District Court on Nov. 14 with injuring a police service animal, a third-degree felony; lewdness and interfering with an arresting officer, class B misdemeanors; and disorderly conduct, a class C misdemeanor.
On Oct. 28, police were called to the parking lot at Costco, 3747 S. Constitution Blvd. (2700 West), on a report of a naked man yelling and screaming while trying to "rip the gas hoses off the pumps."
Garcia-Serna did not obey the officer's commands to stop and get on the ground, then "walked swiftly toward" the officer in a threatening manner, according to the charging documents. That's when police K-9 "Lobo" was released.
But instead of surrendering or being taken to the ground by Lobo, Garcia-Serna "began biting Lobo on the neck and clawing him in the face," the charges state.
The officer kicked Garcia-Serna in the back to get him to stop attacking the dog, "but the kicks had no effect," police wrote. He then used his Taser three times before Garcia-Serna would stop. The man was treated at Pioneer Valley Hospital for minor injuries before being booked in the Salt Lake County Jail.
An initial court hearing was originally scheduled for Nov. 25 but was continued until Tuesday afternoon at the request of Garcia-Serna's attorney "to look into possible mental health issues," according to a court docket. Email: preavy@deseretnews.com Twitter: DNewsCrimeTeam
