HOUSTON – Investigators are looking for the person who set a dog on fire then dumped it into a storm drain in northwest Harris County.
The Ponderosa Fire Department got called out to a neighborhood on Ella Crossing and Burnell Oaks Lane around 10:15 a.m. Saturday after smoke was seen coming from a storm drain.
"They extinguished the fire and found the remains of a dog that had been dumped in the storm sewer," said Scott Schoonover with the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office.
The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office is leading the investigation, with the assistance of the SPCA.
Surveillance cameras from a home nearby recorded much of the crime. In it, you can see a vehicle stopped just in front of the storm drain. A man is there for several minutes, setting the dog on fire and then putting it in the drain.
The dog's remains were turned over the SPCA. At this point, investigators are not certain if the dog was already dead when it was set on fire.
The case is being handled as an arson investigation, but the fire marshal's office said whoever is responsible could also face charges of animal cruelty.
Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information should call 713-222-TIPS (8477).