SAN MARCOS — The owner of the now-closed Angel Paws Pet Cremation in San Marcos was arrested this week amid a criminal investigation related to the business, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Station confirmed.
On Dec. 2, detectives from the San Marcos Sheriff’s Station arrested Christopher Settle, 39, at his home in Temecula, after a North County Superior Court Judge issued an arrest warrant that same day for suspicion of grand theft.
Settle waived his right to an extradition hearing and was transported from Riverside County to the Vista Detention Facility for booking.
“If you have any information related to Angel Paws Pet Cremation or believe that you may have been a victim of a financial crime, contact the San Marcos Sheriff’s Station at (760) 510-5200,” the Sheriff’s department said in a press release.
Many pet owners were left distraught when the pet cremation business at 120 N. Pacific Street closed abruptly in September while their pets were still inside. In the weeks before the closure, the city of San Marcos and law enforcement received several complaints about foul smells coming from the property.
City officials confirmed in abatement documents that they had been in contact with Settle since July about the odor. The city learned that San Diego Gas & Electric had cut power due to unpaid bills, and that several of the company’s permits had also expired.
City code enforcement and law enforcement officials entered the building in September and found numerous dead animals wrapped in plastic and blankets and stored outside of freezers. This led to an “overwhelming and nauseating” odor and significant health and safety concerns, the city said in abatement filings.
The city executed an abatement warrant on Sept. 20, and Sheriff’s deputies also executed a search warrant at the property in early October.
During this process, another pet cremation service, Sorrento Valley Pet Cemetery, accepted dozens of deceased animals from Angel Paws to be cremated and finally reunited with their owners.
Settle was evicted from the property in November.
Settle will be arraigned in Vista Superior Court at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. Further information about the case will be released after that hearing.
This story was updated to include information about an upcoming court date.
