July 24, 2026 – Sonora Police Department officials report that on July 20, 2026, at 6:52 p.m., officers were dispatched to Pesce Way in Sonora for a deceased dog found in a dumpster. Upon responding to the scene, officers recovered the animal and noted signs of apparent physical trauma.

Officers soon learned that the dog had been left in the care of 33-year-old Lukas William Clark of Sonora, who was residing in the owner’s residence on Pesce Way while the owner was away for extended medical care.

Evidence and statements obtained during the investigation indicated that the animal was allegedly killed sometime during the early morning hours of July 19, 2026, and its body was subsequently discarded in the dumpster at approximately 3:00 a.m. that same morning.

Earlier on Thursday, an officer with the Sonora Police Department located Clark in the 300 block of West Jackson Street. Clark was questioned and taken into custody without incident. Clark was transported and booked into the Tuolumne County Jail on suspicion of felony cruelty to an animal causing death.

This is still an ongoing investigation. If you have any information regarding this incident, contact the Sonora Police Department at 209-532-8141.

It’s important to remember that the individuals mentioned in this report were arrested based on suspicion of the crimes they’ve been charged with. All such charges are mere allegations, and all defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.

Source & photo: Sonora Police Department