A former employee at the Daly City PetSmart store was sentenced to jail time Tuesday for nearly beating an animal under his care to death.
Marco Ureta, 21, admitted to his crime, beating a four-year-old American Eskimo named Jelly so badly in July 2019 that he suffered to skull fractures and now must be hand fed.
"The dog was very excited…came out excited to see him," San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. "Instead, that was his words, the animal came out of the cage excited to see him. He picked the animal up over his head and crashed it to the ground."
Ureta will spend 10 months in jail and must stay away from all animals for 10 years.
The veterinary bills were enormous. PetSmart ultimately paid for Jelly’s care.
The overnight attack was captured on video.
Ureta had a clean record and that, said Wagstaffe, helped him avoid a state prison sentence. Ureta expressed regret for the crime and agreed to address his mental health issues.
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