On Sunday, September 24
At approximately 3 pm, SMPD officers were dispatched to the 1400 block of Palisades Park regarding an adult male accused of being unprovoked when hitting a dog and then the dog’s owner. The victim explained that the suspect approached, hit his dog with a closed fist, and then when confronted hit him in the chest, knocking him backwards. Officers located the suspect, Daniel Betancourt, 45-years-old, who was arrested for elder abuse and animal cruelty. Betancourt was issued two citations and released from police custody with a future court appearance scheduled for November 3, 2023.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 29, 2023. Read the original PDF.
