Edman Vargas and Alejandra Zavaleta were arrested in Miami, Florida after they were accused of vandalizing a veterinary office, news sources report. Vargas and Zavaleta reportedly vandalized the building because their dog had died during a routine surgery. The couple was booked into the Miami-Dade County Jail on unspecified charges stemming from the incident. A judge ordered that they each be held on $13,000 bail bond. It is currently unclear whether the duo has retained a hired a lawyer.
According to reports, the incident occurred at Banfield Pet Hospital, which is located inside of a Pet Smart store off Southwest Coral Way. Vargas and Zavaleta took their American bulldog, Reyez, to the clinic for a minor knee surgery, reports say. As veterinarians were administering anesthesia, Reyez reportedly went into cardiac arrest.
"Reyes appeared to be recovering normally after anesthesia when he unexpectedly went into respiratory and cardiac arrest," a spokesperson for the clinic said. "[T]he hospital administered CPR but was unsuccessful in reviving Reyes." Reports say Reyez died and the veterinarian went to tell Vargas and Zavaleta the bad news.
Sources say Vargas and Zavaleta became confrontational when the veterinarian told them Reyez had died. "The doctor was standing up against the counter with his arms crossed and saying 'I don't know what happened,'" Vargas's sister, Cindy Vargas said. "When we had specific questions he left the building." An employee at the Pet Smart store said the veterinarian left the office abruptly because he was concerned about his personal safety. Upset about the lack of information, Vargas and Zavaleta began to vandalize the office.
A spokesperson for the clinic said, "Anytime a pet undergoes anesthesia there is a rare risk of an unforeseen adverse event. We understand how hard it is to lose a pet--our hearts go to the Vargas family for the loss of Reyes." It remains to be seen whether Vargas and Zavaleta will press charges against the clinic.
In other news, police in St. Lucie County say an operation targeting minors in possession of tobacco, alcohol, and synthetics drugs has resulted in 48 arrests. The names of those arrested have not been released. Two people were arrested on charges of possession of marijuana by a youth under 18; two for possession of alcohol by a minor; one for possession of tobacco by a youth under 18; and one for possession of drug paraphernalia by a youth under 18. It is unclear whether any of the arrestees have enlisted legal help.