Chicago — The man accused of punching and throwing a dog in a viral video had a warrant put out on him after he failed to show up for a recent court date, according to court records. It didn’t take long for Chicago police to locate Jose Cartagena. And when they did, during a traffic stop in River North last week, Cartagena had a gun with him, authorities say.
You may remember that prosecutors charged Cartagena with misdemeanor animal cruelty in October after a viral video of a dog being abused led to his arrest in Avondale.
Cartagena, 29, was released from the police station on his own recognizance just six hours after police arrested him in October, CPD records show.
When he didn’t show up for a court appearance three weeks ago, Judge Donald Panarese signed an arrest warrant for Cartagena.
Last Wednesday, Chicago police pulled Cartagena over in the 300 block of West Chicago Avenue after he allegedly made a left turn across three lanes of traffic.
Prosecutors said officers learned about the active arrest warrant after running his driver’s license. They took him into custody.
While searching Cartagena’s vehicle, police allegedly found a loaded .38 Special revolver between the two front seats.
Prosecutors have now charged him with felony unlawful use of a weapon. Judge Kelly McCarthy ordered him to pay a $750 deposit bond to get out of jail on the gun charge. She said he must also post $1,500 to get out of jail on the animal cruelty case. As of Tuesday morning, Cartagena remains in the Cook County jail.
