Two more pupils facing charges in dog’s kidnapping

Keith Paul

Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2000 | 10:23 a.m.

Two more Mojave High School football players were to be charged today for their role in the kidnapping and abuse of the Centennial High School mascot, but a football coach questioned by police will not be charged.

Douglas Anthony Stumpf and Richard Christopher McDonald, both 18, were expected to surrender to Metro Police today and be booked into the Clark County jail, Capt. Rick Bilyeu said. If they do not surrender as planned, officers will find and arrest them.

Stumpf was to be charged with conspiracy to commit theft, felony theft, instigating a fight between animals, maiming of an animal and injuring or abandoning animals, according to the criminal complaint. McDonald was to be charged with witnessing a fight between animals.

But Chief Deputy District Attorney Ronald Bloxham said there was not enough evidence to support charging assistant football coach Steve Gresh.

"There were other people who were investigated, including him, but at this time we didn't feel like there was enough to charge," Bloxham said. "We will always reconsider charges if more information comes in."

Gresh, reached at his home Tuesday night, refused to comment. Police refused to release what -- if any -- role Gresh had in the case.

The two students -- along with five juvenile students arrested last week -- are accused of taking part either in kidnapping the 20-month-old bulldog Blu from the back yard of her owner, Centennial High School student Tiffany Clark, late Sept. 27, or in the dogfight. Blu was taken the night before the two schools were to meet for a varsity football game.

Mojave is located in North Las Vegas, and Centennial is in far northwest Las Vegas.

Blu was forced to fight a pit bull and severely injured. The wounded pup was then chained to a stake on the 50-yard line of Centennial's football field wearing a Mojave T-shirt. The dog was found the next morning by a Centennial official.

Bilyeu said several more students may be cited this week or next for watching the dogfight.

Clark said her dog is doing better and probably will be on the sidelines at this week's football game. She also said she was glad more arrests were made.

"I don't want anyone to get away with it," the Centennial senior said. "She's not just a mascot, she's my dog."

Clark said Blu is still recovering from her injures -- which a veterinarian told police could have been fatal.

According to the criminal complaint, Stumpf had his pit bull, Rose, fight Blu at Raul P. Elizonda Elementary School in North Las Vegas while a group of students watched.

Stumpf apparently had another pit bull at the dog fight. Both dogs were taken by animal control to a shelter in North Las Vegas. Animal control officials will determine whether they should be euthanized.

The students could also face punishment in the school system, Clark County School District spokeswoman Mary Stanley-Larsen said. The School District has taken no action because the police investigation is continuing, she said.

The kidnapping of Blu may have started as a prank to fire up the Mojave football team, but the Centennial players were inspired by her ill treatment. Centennial -- winless in four games before the Sept. 28 meeting -- pounded the more established Mojave program 24-6.

Several reports to police -- and in Internet chat rooms -- that Blu had been sexually assaulted or urinated on were unfounded, Bilyeu said.