Latest news with #KwongChunSit
The Independent
24-06-2025
- The Independent
California dog trainer charged with animal cruelty, evidence destruction in deaths of 11 dogs
Eleven dogs died while in the care of a California dog trainer and prosecutors say he and his girlfriend tried to destroy the evidence by dropping off the dogs' bodies at different crematoriums. Kwong (Tony) Chun Sit, of Irvine, pleaded not guilty Monday in Orange County Superior Court to 11 counts of animal cruelty, 11 counts of animal abuse by a caretaker, seven counts of attempting to destroy evidence and one count of destruction of evidence, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Tingfeng Liu, of Vista, who is dating Sit, pleaded not guilty Monday to accessory to a felony and destruction of evidence, police said. Sit, 53, and Liu, 23, are both are in custody on $550,000 bail each. Prosecutors said the couple was packed and ready to flee when they were arrested on Thursday. Each has been assigned a public defender, prosecutors said. A pet owner contacted police last week saying their dog trainer told them their dog had died and had been cremated, police spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp said. Investigators since have determined that 11 dogs died and that nine of them died on or around Wednesday, police said. Aimee Gutierrez said in a social media post that her family several weeks earlier had adopted a 9-month-old Belgian Malinois and named her Saint. She said the person they trusted to help train Saint informed her by text that Saint had died in her sleep. 'We were not given details,' Gutierrez said. We were not given the change to say goodbye. We later learned that she had been cremated without our consent or knowledge." Another dog was also cremated, police said. The Irvine Police Department's Animal Services Unit recovered the bodies of multiple dogs that prosecutors say had been dropped off by either Sit or Liu at crematoriums. Necropsies performed on three of the dogs show two of the dogs died from heat stroke and the third dog died from blunt force trauma, prosecutors said. Necropsies are pending on the remaining six animals. All but one of the dogs was dropped off at crematoriums last Wednesday. The body of the first dog was dropped off on June 13. Sit worked throughout Southern California under different company names, including Happy K9 Academy, police said. A website with that company name lists Tony Sit as the author of its blog posts. It says their services include boarding and training but doesn't give a boarding facility address or other specific information. An address listed on the website is that of a public park in Tustin, California. The police investigation is ongoing, Oldoerp said.
Washington Post
24-06-2025
- Washington Post
California dog trainer charged with animal cruelty, evidence destruction in deaths of 11 dogs
Eleven dogs died while in the care of a California dog trainer and prosecutors say he and his girlfriend tried to destroy the evidence by dropping off the dogs' bodies at different crematoriums. Kwong (Tony) Chun Sit, of Irvine, pleaded not guilty Monday in Orange County Superior Court to 11 counts of animal cruelty, 11 counts of animal abuse by a caretaker, seven counts of attempting to destroy evidence and one count of destruction of evidence, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Tingfeng Liu, of Vista, who is dating Sit, pleaded not guilty Monday to accessory to a felony and destruction of evidence, police said. Sit, 53, and Liu, 23, are both are in custody on $550,000 bail each. Prosecutors said the couple was packed and ready to flee when they were arrested on Thursday. Each has been assigned a public defender, prosecutors said. A pet owner contacted police last week saying their dog trainer told them their dog had died and had been cremated, police spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp said. Investigators since have determined that 11 dogs died and that nine of them died on or around Wednesday, police said. Aimee Gutierrez said in a social media post that her family several weeks earlier had adopted a 9-month-old Belgian Malinois and named her Saint. She said the person they trusted to help train Saint informed her by text that Saint had died in her sleep. 'We were not given details,' Gutierrez said. We were not given the change to say goodbye. We later learned that she had been cremated without our consent or knowledge.' Another dog was also cremated, police said. The Irvine Police Department's Animal Services Unit recovered the bodies of multiple dogs that prosecutors say had been dropped off by either Sit or Liu at crematoriums. Necropsies performed on three of the dogs show two of the dogs died from heat stroke and the third dog died from blunt force trauma, police said. Necropsies are pending on the remaining six animals. All but one of the dogs was dropped off at crematoriums last Wednesday. The body of the first dog was dropped off on June 13. Sit worked throughout Southern California under different company names, including Happy K9 Academy, police said. A website with that company name lists Tony Sit as the author of its blog posts. It says their services include boarding and training but doesn't give a boarding facility address or other specific information. An address listed on the website is that of a public park in Tustin, California. The police investigation is ongoing, Oldoerp said.
Associated Press
24-06-2025
- Associated Press
California dog trainer charged with animal cruelty, evidence destruction in deaths of 11 dogs
Eleven dogs died while in the care of a California dog trainer and prosecutors say he and his girlfriend tried to destroy the evidence by dropping off the dogs' bodies at different crematoriums. Kwong (Tony) Chun Sit, of Irvine, pleaded not guilty Monday in Orange County Superior Court to 11 counts of animal cruelty, 11 counts of animal abuse by a caretaker, seven counts of attempting to destroy evidence and one count of destruction of evidence, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Tingfeng Liu, of Vista, who is dating Sit, pleaded not guilty Monday to accessory to a felony and destruction of evidence, police said. Sit, 53, and Liu, 23, are both are in custody on $550,000 bail each. Prosecutors said the couple was packed and ready to flee when they were arrested on Thursday. Each has been assigned a public defender, prosecutors said. A pet owner contacted police last week saying their dog trainer told them their dog had died and had been cremated, police spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp said. Investigators since have determined that 11 dogs died and that nine of them died on or around Wednesday, police said. Aimee Gutierrez said in a social media post that her family several weeks earlier had adopted a 9-month-old Belgian Malinois and named her Saint. She said the person they trusted to help train Saint informed her by text that Saint had died in her sleep. 'We were not given details,' Gutierrez said. We were not given the change to say goodbye. We later learned that she had been cremated without our consent or knowledge.' Another dog was also cremated, police said. The Irvine Police Department's Animal Services Unit recovered the bodies of multiple dogs that prosecutors say had been dropped off by either Sit or Liu at crematoriums. Necropsies performed on three of the dogs show two of the dogs died from heat stroke and the third dog died from blunt force trauma, police said. Necropsies are pending on the remaining six animals. All but one of the dogs was dropped off at crematoriums last Wednesday. The body of the first dog was dropped off on June 13. Sit worked throughout Southern California under different company names, including Happy K9 Academy, police said. A website with that company name lists Tony Sit as the author of its blog posts. It says their services include boarding and training but doesn't give a boarding facility address or other specific information. An address listed on the website is that of a public park in Tustin, California. The police investigation is ongoing, Oldoerp said.
CBS News
21-06-2025
- CBS News
Irvine police arrest animal trainer and his girlfriend after 10 dogs die in his care
Irvine police arrested an animal trainer and his girlfriend on Thursday after 10 dogs died in his care. Detectives began their investigation into trainer Kwong (Tony) Chun Sit, 53, and his girlfriend Tingfeng Liu, 23, after the dog's owner received a text message from the suspect on Wednesday saying that their dog had died in its sleep and had been cremated, according to the Irvine Police Department. After determining that at least 10 dogs died in Sit's care, officers recovered some of the animals' remains at different crematoriums, according to investigators. "We are working closely with veterinary professionals who will perform necropsies to determine how the dogs died. Our priority is determining if the death of the dogs was accidental or intentional," said in a statement. Officers booked Sit and Liu in Orange County Jail for animal cruelty and destruction of evidence after the attempted cremation of the dogs, according to Irvine PD. Detectives believe Sit worked with other pet owners in Southern California, under several company names, including "Happy K9 Academy." Irvine police urged any owners whose dogs died while under Sit's care or anyone with information about the case to contact investigators at rsteen@
