Darien Animal Cruelty Case Goes Back Nearly Year

Crime & Safety

Darien Animal Cruelty Case Goes Back Nearly Year A dog fight occurred at a local hotel, where one of the dog owners lived, police said.

DARIEN, IL – A former Darien hotel employee was arrested last week on a charge of animal cruelty in connection with a dog fight, local police said.

The 39-year-old man was arrested in Westmont.

The charge was based on an incident from nearly a year earlier at WoodSpring Suites, 951 N. Frontage Road.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained the police report.

On Oct. 2, 2023, officers were called to the hotel about a dog bite complaint. A hotel employee who lived there told police the 39-year-old man had asked him to take care of his German shepherd, Molly.

The 39-year-old, who left the hotel because he had been evicted and fired, told his former co-worker that another dog injured his dog in a fight. The 39-year-old said he was now homeless, walking the streets of Westmont.

The co-worker called Darien police because Molly's injury was far worse than he thought. The police took Molly to a veterinarian's clinic, where Molly was praised as a good patient. The bill was $2,500.

Police said that before giving up Molly, the 39-year-old had gone with the dog to another room to speak with a man who was taking care of a pit bull named Diamond.

Police said they watched surveillance video showing the men appearing to conduct a drug deal. Then Molly and Diamond got into a fight.

The woman who owned Diamond was cited on a charge of having a loose dog, with Diamond previously declared dangerous, police said. The woman was asked to pay the $2,500 bill for Molly. Meanwhile, Diamond was euthanized, according to the report.

Darien police requested a felony charge against the 39-year-old, but DuPage County prosecutors in July went with a misdemeanor, Darien police said.

The 39-year-old was arrested Sept. 17 and taken to the DuPage County Jail.