The pit bull set on fire in West Baltimore last month might have been part of a dog-fighting operation, Baltimore's top police official said Tuesday.
Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III said there were indications that dog fighting "may have been at the core" of the case, but he declined to elaborate.
There had been previous reports that the dog had bite marks on its body.
Police charged two teenagers over the weekend with setting the dog ablaze, but few details have been released as police and prosecutors pore over evidence. Prosecutors have declined to comment, but Bealefeld said he remains optimistic that the case will move forward.
"I understand there are still some concerns about some of the things that [prosecutors] are looking for us to do in continuing with the investigation, but I'm confident that we have the right guys, based on all that I've heard," Bealefeld said.
The case sparked anger and generated more than $26,000 in donations to find the culprits. Bealefeld said the community came forward with tips that helped police close in on the suspects.
"We got some information in the early stages concerning [the] possible identity of these guys, and then, based on a review of evidence from the scene, we were able to secure another witness who put us over the top," Bealefeld said.
