Arrest in hit-and-run dog killing

Juan Mendoza-Meza, age 30, of Santa Rosa, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon — his Italian sports car — and felony animal cruelty for purposefully running over a dog and then driving away.

The ugly incident unfolded June 1, on Las Lomas Road near Central Avenue in Boyes Hot Springs. Sheriff’s deputies learned that a man was walking his dog at about 9 a.m. when he saw a white Maserati driving towards him at a high rate of speed.

As the Maserati past him, the pedestrian yelled at the driver to slow down. The car came to a complete stop. According to the Sheriff’s report, the driver, later identified as Mendoza-Meza, put the car in reverse, accelerated and hit the victim and dog with the car. He then sped away.

The dog, a terrier mix, died at the scene. The pedestrian victim was transported to an area hospital for his injuries, which are not life-threatening.

Deputies had a description of the vehicle, and asked for the public’s help vie social media.

On June 3, detectives found the Maserati backed into a driveway in the 1000 block of Elmwood Drive, Santa Rosa, after receiving an anonymous tip from the public. The trunk of the Maserati had significant damage. The Maserati was later towed to the Sheriff’s Office for processing.

At about 4:40 p.m., detectives found Mendoza-Meza at a residence in the 100 block of Butterfly Lane in Santa Rosa. He was arrested and booked into the Sonoma County Jail for assault with a deadly weapon with serious bodily injury and felony cruelty to an animal. Mendoza-Meza remains in custody on a no-bail hold.