Jacob Arevalo lives across the street from the Tovar home where their two small dogs were the poisoned earlier this month.
"I don't think animals should pay for personal problems or whatever happened. I think whoever's doing it is not right in the head," said Arevalo.
The Tovars, who could not be reached for comment, distributed a note to all their neighbors this past week. It warns that someone was possibly putting poisoned meatballs in the yards of neighbors with dogs. The poisoned meatballs are to blame for the deaths of two of the family's dogs. One of them was two year old D.J. The Tovars told police the suspect had been sending them letters threatening their dogs for a year.
"We have had cases like this, but not to the degree where letters have been sent," said Animal Control Officer Cedric Williams Cain.
Police served a search warrant Wednesday on a home on via Doble Court. They found enough evidence to arrest 72-year-old Earl Ansley. He is also suspected in the poisoning the death of another neighbor's dog eight years ago. Arevalo and others are now keeping a close eye on their animals. Tayde Barba now watches what her dog eats.
"We just try to make sure that the dogs are not eating anything," said neighbor Barb.
Matt Condraschoff who lives behind Ansley showed us where he believes the suspect got access to the dogs' yard.
"There was actually a chair where it looked like somebody came over the fence," said Condraschoff.
The Tovars are especially mourning D.J. He was named after the family's 18-year-old daughter who died in a car accident in 2009.
Intentionally killing someone's pet is a felony according to Contra Costa Animal Control. The punishment is up to five years in jail. So far, Ansley not been charged in this case.
