Glendora’s K9 is recovering this afternoon after being injured in a struggle with a man police say has ties to an El Monte gang.
Bo was taken to a veterinarian who examined the cartilage in Bo’s left ear. It was initially believed the cartilage was broken, but Bo got away with nothing more than a sore ear, said Glendora Police Chief Tim Staab.
Bo’s ear previously did not stand up on its own, but appears to be fine. Bo and his handler, officer Scott Salvage were back on patrol Friday night.
“He just got a sore left ear. Hopefully that ear will pop up where it belongs,” Staab said. “You have to question somebody who attempts to put a police K9 in a headlock.”
The suspect who fought with Bo, 28-year-old Armando Nunez of El Monte, was allegedly trying to intentionally rip Bo’s ear off, according to officers on scene.
Nunez lied to officers about his identity, but through fingerprints, police were able to properly identify him, Staab said.
Nunez was booked on suspicion of felony evading, felony harm to a police K9, being in possession of methamphetamine, being in possession burglary tools and obstructing/resisting an officer. Nunez was also wanted by West Covina Police for felony evading and grand theft auto.
Nunez was treated at an area hospital for minor wounds incurred by Bo and is now sitting in the Glendora jail in lieu of $75,000 bail.
Female suspect Victoria Narvaez, 29, from Pomona, was booked on suspicion of obstructing/resisting an officer and is also on parole for burglary. Narvaez is being held without bail due to the parole hold.
Glendora detectives initially saw Nunez and Narvaez acting suspiciously in the white Honda Civic in the city of La Verne. The detectives witnessed the same occupants allegedly casing homes minutes later in San Dimas, Staab said.
Detectives approached the occupants who fled from them.
After Nunez and Narvaez were arrested, police discovered property in the car that are not in the suspects’ names and it is unknown if that property was stolen. The ignition in the Civic was punched, which indicate the car was possibly stolen, but detectives have yet to locate the owner, Staab said.
Bo is no stranger to harm while performing in the line of duty.
In March of 2015, while police officers were busy going after multiple burglary suspects in the hills of Glendora, Bo was attempting to apprehend a suspect who picked up the K9 and threw him down a hill. Bo quickly recovered and helped apprehended the suspect.
Bo is a Belgian Malinois from Holland and is trained in the European Canine sport of KNPV.
Bo and his Handler Officer Scott Salvage graduated a six week, 240-hour training course in December 2014, according to the Glendora city website.
Nunez is scheduled to appear at the West Covina Courthouse, Monday June 14. Court appearance information for Narvaez was not available.
This story is an updated version with news on Bo’s condition in paragraph three.
