A Struthers woman said she's heartbroken after police said her dog was stabbed to death inside her home by a teenage neighbor.

On Halloween, Erica Ripley got a call from a neighbor informing Ripley that her Chihuahua Chico had been killed while Ripley was running errands.

She returned to her Struthers apartment where police were on the scene.

"It's been traumatizing, to be honest," Ripley said. 

Struthers detectives said the juvenile, who has since been arrested and placed into the Juvenile Justice Center, was under the supervision of caretakers because of mental disabilities.

When Ripley was not home, the teen allegedly went into Ripley's apartment, located a knife and stabbed Chico. According to the police report, the teen then told his caretakers he stabbed the dog.

"Never, in my wildest dreams thought that he would have the ability to harm him," Ripley said, "I had several interactions with him. He's taken him out for walks and in the driveway and stuff like that. He's petted my dog. He never showed any aggression whatsoever."

She said she is grateful no one else was hurt but feels traumatized by losing Chico who she rescued about eight years ago.

"He's been more than just a dog to me. That's my family. That's my therapeutic animal, you know, like, he's been across the country with me," she said, "I'm from Arizona, so he's been through a lot with me already, and then for me to have to go through that with him, is even more terrible, because I can only imagine what he felt."