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Robert Bustamante Flores, a 72-year-old Corona resident, was arrested at the Corona Police Department on Wednesday, July 26, 2017 for bank robbery. Flores is suspected of giving a teller a demand note and receiving cash during the robbery of Pacific Western Bank located at 1050 W. Sixth Street in the City of Corona on June 20, 2017.

On Wednesday, July 26, 2017, Flores came to the Corona Police station on an unrelated matter. Robbery/Homicide detectives questioned Flores about the bank robbery, and then wrote a search warrant for Flores’ home to look for related evidence. Flores told investigators that he had about 26 dogs in the main area of his home, located in the 100 block of N. Vicentia Avenue. Flores said he stays in the garage and the dogs lived in the residence.

A team of four Corona Animal Control Officers (ACOs) assisted investigators with the search warrant service last night. For about 75 minutes, the ACOs located and removed a total of 35 dogs, including 7 small puppies.

“Over all the years of my career, this is by far the worst call I have ever been to,” said Animal Control Officer Bill Sellers. “I have never witnessed this level of blatant neglect.”

The furniture in the home where the dogs lived was destroyed down to the frames. Animal waste covered the floor in the home and in some areas, it had decomposed to the consistency of mulch.
Many of the dogs removed from the home were emaciated and showed symptoms of disease. One adult dog had to be humanely euthanized as a result of its several open wounds and its extreme medical condition. All of the dogs and puppies were taken to the Corona Animal Shelter where they will be fed, hydrated, and evaluated in a quarantine status.

Items believed to be associated with the bank robbery were located on the property.
Flores was booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center for the charge of Robbery. His bail is currently $30,000. Additional charges related to the animal cruelty investigation are pending.
For more ways to help with the care of the dogs and puppies that are now at the shelter and for adoption information, please click here to visit our website.

If anyone has additional information about the robbery or animal cruelty investigation, please contact Detective Mario Hernandez at 951-279-3659 or email [email protected].