Man accused of killing son’s support dog

A Bloomingdale man has been charged with animal cruelty, accused of killing his son’s emotional support dog.

Sandeep Dhillon, 47, of the 300 block of Stratford Place, is charged with one count of felony aggravated cruelty to animals, the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office announced Wednesday.

A news release said that on Aug. 17, 2025, Hanover Park police were called to Dhillon’s former residence. They found Ace, a 4-year-old mixed-breed pit bull dog, dead.

Ace was on the floor with his head on a pillow and a blanket covering his body, authorities said. Blood was visible in and around Ace’s mouth and nose, and the left side of his face was swollen, according to the news release.

Around 12:30 p.m. that day, Dhillon’s children asked him where the dog was after discovering Ace’s cage was empty except for a broken collar, according to the release. They found the dog in the garage, bleeding, with a swollen face and a leash knotted around his neck.

Authorities said police found what appeared to be blood on the exterior metal railing of the sliding glass door that leads to the backyard; a dried red substance and fur stuck to the metal frame of the door jamb; and drops of blood just inside the door, through the kitchen, on the metal threshold of the garage door and on the wood steps into the garage. They also found a wooden table leg in the garage with staining and dog hairs stuck to one end, according to the news release.

A necropsy performed at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine of Ace found dried blood in his fur, front paws and mouth, and that there was “significant” bleeding in the soft tissues of his neck and face, “concerning for blunt-force trauma,” according to the news release. The blood loss was sufficient to kill Ace, according to the examiners.

Dhillon was arrested Monday and appeared in DuPage County court Wednesday morning. Judge Joshua Dieden ordered that Dhillon be detained in the DuPage County jail.

Dhillon is scheduled for a hearing Thursday to determine whether his pretrial release in another criminal case should be revoked, according to the news release.

In that earlier case, he is charged with domestic battery, aggravated battery to a peace officer and assault.