Arrest made in dog burned alive in crate on Sacramento County street

An Oakland man has been arrested in the burning of a small dog locked in a pet crate on an Arden Arcade street last month – a crime that generated thousands in reward money from the public.

The dog was burned to death in the dog crate placed outside a fraternal lodge in the 3000 block of Becerra Way, near Watt and Marconi avenues.

Tips from the public and a joint investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s office and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire investigators led to a warrant being issued for Willie Bee Turner, 20, of Oakland.

Turner has been arrested and s being held in Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of animal cruelty. His bail is set at $35,000.

People reported what they thought was a trash fire on the street outside the fraternal lodge about 12:30 a.m. Jan. 22. Neighbors eventually heard noise coming from the small fire on the sidewalk, a sound that in retrospect could have been the whimpering or howling of the dog.

When firefighters pulled up, they recognized that the fire was the result of a burning dog crate, not rubbish. The crate door had been shut and the dog lit on fire, according to Metro Fire Capt. Michele Eidam.

A necropsy determined that the female, mixed-breed dog was about 9 months old, small and tan-colored.

More than $17,000 was generated in a reward fund, according to Sacramento SPCA officials.

This story was originally published February 20, 2015 at 10:49 AM.