Scottsdale man convicted of animal cruelty arrested in New Mexico

PHOENIX — An alleged puppy abuser from Scottsdale was arrested after fleeing to New Mexico to avoid a trial, authorities announced on Thursday.

Lester Paul Richmond, 36, was accused of subjecting a domestic animal to cruel mistreatment in June 2023, according to the Scottsdale Police Department.

He and 32-year-old Heather Auditor were arrested in connection with the discarding of a dead dog in an alley near Miller Road and Latham Street in July 2023. The husky puppy was found with its mouth taped shut, police said.

Richmond missed his sentencing hearing in a Maricopa County court in late July, police said. Authorities later learned he and Auditor were in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Suspect has a history of fleeing, Scottsdale Police say

It wasn’t the first time Richmond took law enforcement on an out-of-state chase, the Scottsdale Police Department said.

In fact, he had first gone missing after being indicted on one count of subjecting a domestic animal to cruel mistreatment in July 2023.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) announced the indictment in December 2023.

However, Richmond was at large, so the attorney’s office and Scottsdale Police asked the public to help track him down.

Eventually, Richmond was found and arrested in arrested in Troy, Alabama in February.

Authorities then extradited him back to Arizona. After that, he was let go on supervised release on April 15, police said.

Richmond took a plea deal for his animal cruelty charges on June 28, according to court records.

However, Richmond failed to appear for his sentencing hearing on July 30, police said. This triggered yet another search for him.

How did police find the alleged puppy abuser?

There was a breakthrough in the search on Aug. 1, when a detective received a tip saying Richmond was at a truck stop with Auditor in New Mexico.

The Las Cruces Police Department then arrested Richmond. He was booked into jail on Aug. 1, according to inmate information from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office.

Richmond was being held in New Mexico awaiting extradition to Arizona as of Friday morning.