Jeremy Espiritu told police that he murdered the family dog, Serenity, with a six-inch serrated knife because he "wanted to."
The 22-year-old Las Vegas man was arrested Thursday on allegations of killing an animal, online court records show.
Espiritu's stepfather told officers he was sleeping at about 3 p.m. when he awoke to the sound of "a child or dog screaming as if they were in pain," according to a police report obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
When officer Jacoby Burns arrived, he found Serenity dying in a pool of blood near the front door, the Review-Journal reports. The knife was located nearby.
"I like to hurt dogs," Espiritu allegedly told Burns at the time. Asked if the dog attacked him, Espiritu replied, "Nope. I just wanted to stab the dog so I sat on the floor and cut its neck."
Serenity, a black Labrador mix, was rushed to a veterinary clinic, but died on the operating table.
The stepfather told police that Espiritu is "basically homeless," but shows up from time to time, the New York Daily News reports. He alleged that Espiritu was a drug addict with undiagnosed mental health issues.
Police say they found methamphetamine on Espiritu after the attack. He was booked into Clark County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
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