Buckeye Police: Woman's dog found decapitated, man arrested for animal cruelty

BUCKEYE, Ariz. (FOX 10) -- Buckeye Police arrested a man for animal cruelty after a woman's dog was found decapitated in a box.

Police said a woman was moving out of a home off Baseline Rd. when she lost track of her dog. The woman and her friends said they saw Jose Vega Meza, 21, try to load a small box onto the truck without being seen. Meza lived in the house that woman was moving out of.

The woman told police she confronted Meza about the box, but he just smiled. When she opened the box, she found her dead, mutilated, headless dog inside.

According to police, the woman did not report the incident until the next day. That afternoon officers were able to locate Meza and take him into custody.

Investigators said the man admitted to the crime when he was arrested.