A man was arrested Friday on suspicion of murdering a Colorado dog breeder whose puppies were stolen from her ransacked home and whose body was later found, authorities said.
Sergio Ferrer, 36, is facing murder and robbery charges in the death of Paul Peavy, 57, of Clear Creek County. the sheriff's office said in a statement..
According to the sheriff's office, Ferrer was arrested on an unrelated warrant out of Nebraska, where he allegedly failed to appear in court on a weapons possession charge.
The statement added that at the time of his arrest, Ferrer was considered a suspect in Peavy's death.
The sheriff's office and other law enforcement agencies have recommended murder charges be filed.
Peavy's friends discovered his body on an embankment on his property on Saturday. The sheriff's office confirmed.
“I went to the property and discovered the puppy was gone, the house had been ransacked and valuables were missing,” said friend Bruce Boynton. He told Denver 7.
Boynton called police to check on her safety, but officers searched the property and found nothing.
Boynton too He told The Washington Post Guns, metal detectors and jewelry were missing from Peavy's home. The doghouse door was open and several adult Dobermans were roaming the yard, Boyton added.
Police say some of the stolen puppies have already been sold and have yet to be adopted by new owners.
But they all have microchips embedded in them.
Peavy raised up to two puppies a year on 110 acres in Idaho Springs, a mountain town about 30 miles west of Denver, according to his company, Elite European Dobermans.
The breeder promised “quality over quantity” and offered to provide the buyer with a seven-month-old Doberman puppy that was already trained.
Ten Doberman puppies were missing from the kennel, but Peavy's three adult dogs remained alive.
According to his business website, Peavy has been a dog lover since he was 10 years old, walking dogs for a local dog rescue and being active in the community.
