Police arrested 18-year-old Alejandro Lopez and a 16-year-old male after they were identified by the victim. Police suspect both are gang members.
Police say the victim is a 45-year-old homeless man who was walking through the parking lot of the Mosqueda Community Center in Southeast Fresno before 10:00 p.m. Monday.
Lt Jose Garza with the Fresno Police Department says officers don't know the victim's encounter with the group of teens turned violent.
"For gang members they really don't need a reason to victimize people, they do it, that's what they do," Garza said. "They surrounded him and started kicking knocked him to the ground."
Garza said they started yelling out their gang before they started their assault. Garza also said the man had a backpack. The man's dog, a terrier-mix named Snoopy, was in the backpack. Garza said the teens turned their attention to the man's pet.
"They took the dog out of the backpack and repeatedly kicked the dog and ended up killing it," he said.
Garza said there were two teenager women with the group of attackers who took pity on the victim, who helped him up and told him to run.
The victim ran to a convenience store down the street, at the corner of E. Butler Ave. and S. Maple Ave.
The store clerk told Action News he remember seeing the man frantic in the parking lot, telling customers that he had been attacked and his dog was dead. The clerk said the man was able to flag down a police car that was stopped at the traffic light.
Police say the victim is fine and refused treatment. He was released at the scene.
Officers believe there were five or six people involved in the attack. They are asking the public's help in finding the rest.
The suspects in custody are facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon and cruelty towards animals.
