Sheriff’s office reopens case after dog killed in viral door kick challenge
By Pamela Comme
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DELTONA, Florida (WESH) — About a month after her front door was kicked in and her dog escaped and was killed, detectives told her no charges would be filed.
“I feel like I failed him,” Dissany Cid said. “It’s heartbreaking to hear that.”
The incident happened back in December on Tiburon Lane in Deltona. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office says a group of teens was playing ding-dong ditch in the neighborhood when things escalated. Investigators say one of them kicked in the front door of Cid’s home.
Cid believes it was part of a viral door-kick challenge that the sheriff’s office has been warning residents about for months.
Cid wasn’t home at the time, but her dogs were. One of them — her Yorkie, Spookie — got out.
“If it was my door, I don’t care about my door,” Cid said. “But he didn’t deserve that. He didn’t deserve to die like that.”
Spookie ran off scared and was later found dead after being hit by a car.
Since then, Cid has been calling for justice, hoping the teens involved would be held accountable. But because her Ring doorbell camera wasn’t working at the time, evidence was limited.
Cid says detectives initially told her there would be no arrest.
“It’s devastating,” she said. “I feel like I failed him.”
But while WESH 2 was interviewing Cid, there was a sudden development.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office told WESH 2 they took a second look at the case Monday morning and are now pursuing charges against the individual they say is responsible. Officials have not yet said what charge the person will face.
We told Cid the moment we found out.
“Oh, really? Oh my gosh,” Cid said, crying. “I mean, yeah. Because he didn’t deserve to die that way.”
Her heart still heavy, Cid says she is now holding on to hope that accountability will finally bring her closure.
“I don’t want to, to ruin their lives or have them catch a felony or anything,” she added. “Just have them do community service.”
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