Stockton man arrested on animal cruelty charge after dog was allegedly shot with a BB gun

A Stockton man is facing animal cruelty and weapons charges after videos depicting a caged dog being shot at with a BB gun surfaced on social media, police said.

Maurice Smith, 47, was arrested and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail Tuesday on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, carrying a loaded handgun, and cruelty to animals, jail records show.

The arrest stems from an animal cruelty investigation initiated by the Stockton Police Department last month. The department said it became aware of videos showing a man firing a BB gun in the direction of a caged dog on June 28.

The same day, officers responded to a home in the 2600 block of Bristol Avenue, where the incident allegedly took place. However, they weren't able to find the dog seen in the videos. Residents told officers the dog had been give away, according to police.

Officers returned to the home on June 29, but still couldn't find the dog or any signs of animal cruelty. Animal services officers and detectives continued to work on the case, and the dog was eventually found.

When the dog was found, police said it "appeared to have injuries consistent with being shot at with a BB gun."

An arrest warrant was authored and Smith was taken into custody. He is being held on $200,000 bail. Smith is expected to appear in San Joaquin County Superior Court for arraignment at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.