St. Cloud Couple Charged After Dog Found Starved, Injured

Oct 31

Two people from St. Cloud are facing felony animal cruelty charges after a severely emaciated dog was found abandoned earlier this year.

Authorities say the dog later died despite receiving medical care at the Tri-County Humane Society.

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Court documents accuse 19-year-old Joselyn Mae Casillas and 22-year-old Marcos Marcello Mueller of overworking or mistreating an animal resulting in death or great bodily harm between March and June of this year.

According to the criminal complaints, on June 9, St. Cloud Animal Control found a one-year-old female dog outside a business. The dog was extremely thin, limping and had a leash attached to her collar. She was taken to the Tri-County Humane Society, where she suffered vomiting and bloody diarrhea before dying four days later.

Investigators traced the animal back to Casillas after a building manager recognized her as the tenant who had adopted a dog in March. The manager said the dog appeared healthy at first but had become dangerously thin weeks before she was found.

Police interviewed Casillas and Mueller at Casillas’ apartment on June 17. Mueller told officers, “when it comes to the dog, I was here for most of that.” Both said the dog had run away while on a walk but showed no emotion when told she had died. They admitted the dog had been sick for about a month, eating pacifiers and diapers but never received veterinary care.

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Surveillance footage later showed Casillas leaving her apartment alone with the limping dog around 1:30 a.m. on June 9. Hours later, the dog was found abandoned nearby. No one ever called the shelter to claim her.

A necropsy by the University of Minnesota found multiple chronic fractures, including a dislocated femur and broken ribs, along with severe emaciation and an intestinal blockage caused by pacifiers and plastic shards. The report stated dogs suffering from starvation sometimes eat such objects.

A March photo from Casillas’ Facebook page showed the same dog healthy and well-fed.

Both Casillas and Mueller were charged via summons. Each face sentences up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine if convicted.

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