Photo: Courtesy of Pawworks: Image of Pretty Girl
Written By: Robert L. McCullough
October 1, 2022 – Ventura County, Ca. – If 33-year-old Newbury Park resident Miles Berry ever finds himself on trial and facing a jury of animal lovers, he may wish he had taken whatever plea deal prosecutors had offered.
Berry stands accused of commercial burglary and animal cruelty based on evidence gathered by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Crime Analysis Unit (CAU). According to VCSD spokesman Detective Michael Dixon, Berry’s current criminal charges stem from an investigation that began on June 9, 2022 when the “nonprofit animal rescue organization” known as Paw Works reported a burglary and theft of a 2-year-old German Shepherd dog named “Pretty Girl” that took place “in the early morning hours” from the rescue shelter facility.
“Pretty Girl” was discovered by a member of the public just hours later on the shoulder of U.S. 101 in Newbury Park “suffering from significant injuries.” The Good Samaritan promptly took the dog to a local veterinary hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Nearly three months later, on September 4 th , the Paw Works burglar alarm alerted VCSD patrol deputies to another break-in of the premises. Responding deputies and VCSD detectives accessed security camera recordings and determined that the suspect from the June 9th burglary had struck again.
The ensuing investigation, conducted by the Camarillo Investigations Bureau and the VCSD CAU, led to the identification of Berry as the individual on the security camera recordings. With that
evidence in hand, a search warrant was obtained and served on Berry’s residence, which led to the discovery of “additional evidence” tying Berry to both burglaries. He was taken into custody and transported to Ventura County Jail where he was charged with multiple counts of burglary, attempted burglary, and animal cruelty with his bail set at $50,000.
