Police say the suspect shot some dogs and ran over others with a vehicle.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio police believe an animal cruelty killing spree may be over.
Officials with the police department confirmed that the primary suspect in a dark-colored sedan that shot and killed at least two dogs in recent attacks has now died.
Jesse Cohn, 44, was pronounced dead Tuesday afternoon.
Police said that when they went to his apartment at the Flats on Wakefield to serve a search warrant last Thursday, officers heard what they thought was a gunshot. When they finally gained entry into his apartment, they found Cohn had been shot in the head.
In addition to the shootings of dogs, police found additional evidence indicating they believe Cohn was also responsible for other cases. For instance, authorities believe Cohn is connected to recent incidents where a driver was caught on video dropping food in the middle of busy streets and then attempting to run over and kill dogs that came to eat it.
Police credit investigators from Animal Care Services with helping them to link the suspect vehicle to the man they believe is responsible for the attacks.
One bait attack was captured on home surveillance video and posted to Facebook back in March. It happened in broad daylight east of North Star Mall. The video shows a disturbing scene in which a man in a dark sedan, later identified as a 2017 Subaru Crosstrek, can be seen intentionally dropping food in the middle of the street near a dog.
The man who posted the video said he watched as the dog took the bait and was shocked to see the driver turn around, hit the gas and head straight for the dog.
The video shows the dog was able to escape, but then the car can be seen coming back for a second swipe at the dog.
It addition to the surveillance video from a nearby home, the man who witnessed the assault recorded it from a closer perspective on his cell phone. He then shared clear, unobstructed still frames of the car, the driver and the license plate on the car on his social post.
In the narrative that accompanies the video, the man said: “He’s holding his phone up, or he’s messing with his phone while it’s mounted. Either way it’s mounted over the dash. I think he records these horrible things he does.”
The post gained traction when a social media influencer on TikTok picked up the story six days ago. That post has since amassed more than 323,000 views.
One man who commented on the thread said the same thing happened to his dog in June, but he lost his beloved pet in another attack on Santa Paula Avenue.
That incident, also caught on camera, is heartbreaking as a woman who watched the dog die can be seen coming into view, sobbing over the loss.
The police report related to the attack says the victim “stated that he has seen on social media, the same listed vehicle, do the same thing in other parts of the city.”
Animal advocates say there are plenty of unanswered questions about the attacks. Some wonder how one person managed to drive, lean out a passenger window and fire a well-placed fatal shot on the two dogs that were killed.
They believe there may be another suspect at large.
There are also questions about the Subaru caught on camera in one baiting attack, saying that car is registered to an apartment complex on the far northeast side, yet it has been caught on camera at the complex where Cohn lived.
One activist recorded video of the car Saturday, three days after Cohn was hospitalized and on life support.
With regard to the remaining questions, SAPD responded with one line: “These cases are still under investigation.”
Anyone with information about these incidents can contact the SAPD Property Crimes Task Force, which is handling these cases.
