According to investigators, an Arizona lady allegedly tortured at least three dogs to death and documented the events in horrific detail in a personal journal.
Brook Scalero, 42, was arrested on November 14 and eventually admitted to her role in the murders of three animals: Pepe, Griffin, and Gus.
The Mesa Police Department (MPD) said that on November 4, a journal reportedly belonging to Scalero was handed in. The newspaper recounted “in torturous detail the continued abuse and ultimate deaths of multiple dogs under Scalero’s care.”
Investigators determined that in May, Scalero agreed to pay $500 to take Pepe, a three-year-old Maltese mix dog, from the local animal rescue charity Paws Fur The Cause.
The facility had allowed her to go with the puppy on the condition that she would pay for him that night, but she never followed through.
On October 5, cops responded to the VCA Animal Hospital after receiving reports of a dead dog matching Pepe’s description.
However, a microchip revealed that the dog was not Pepe, but rather Griffin, a similar breed registered to Scalero. Griffin’s injuries were “consistent with animal abuse,” according to MPD.
Scalero also lived with a roommate from November 2023 to October 2024, who had a dog named Gus, who died at the time.
When Scalero left the house, her roommate discovered her notebook, among other personal materials, which detailed Gus’ death.
Scalero was arrested for unrelated charges and questioned on November 14. She confirmed owning the journal, but claimed the stories were simply creative works. Scalero also acknowledged to accepting Pepe without paying for him.
A day later, on November 15, someone reported discovering a dead dog behind a bush in the 700 block of West 8th Ave. The microchip confirmed that the dog was Pepe.
A entry in the journal regarding Pepe supposedly stated, “He was a three-year-old Maltese. I kept him one night and then killed him the next day. He attempts to pull away, but I stop him. Instead, I choke him out by strangling him repeatedly.
Scalero is also accused of writing in her journal that she left Pepe in her hot car for several hours before hiding him behind a shrub near her home. The distressing description eventually resulted in the finding of the dog’s body.
Adopt A Dog Rescue, an animal rescue facility, uploaded a picture of Pepe on Instagram, saying that Scalero had been detained and a case was being established against her. The post also contained images from her diary.
“I’m afraid that people like these exist on earth. “This is horrific,” one user responded.
Scalero was interviewed again on November 18, and she admitted to her role in the torture and deaths of Pepe, Griffin, and Gus. She was taken into jail on three counts of animal cruelty and one act of theft.