Felony charges have been filed in connection with the death of a man found near Santa Margarita

The suspect arrested last week in connection with the killing of a man reported missing has been charged with murder and animal abuse, as well as a hate crime enhancement.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office filed felony charges against Tyler Grant Stevens of Paso Robles Tuesday afternoon.

An expansion on hate crimes has also been added. The criminal complaint alleges that the crime was committed on or about Oct. 23 with a knife “based in whole or in part on the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation.”

Stevens was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail early Sunday morning, a day after Atascadero police found the body of Todd Joseph Pinion in a remote area near Tassajara Creek. The 34-year-old was reported missing on October 30 and was last seen a week earlier, according to police.

After an extensive investigation, officials report that they have identified Stevens as a person involved in Pinion’s disappearance.

A separate animal cruelty charge was also filed in connection with the victim’s dog, Spock, who police said was found dead on Highway 101 near Cuesta Grade on Halloween.

The charging document states that while Stevens was supervising or in custody of Pinion’s dog, he “inflicted unnecessary suffering on that dog, or inflicted unnecessary cruelty on the dog, or mistreated the dog in any way, or failed to provide the dog with appropriate food and drink.” provide.”, or protection or shelter from the weather.”

According to prosecutors, Stevens received a sentence under California’s Three Strikes Law for a 2022 conviction of assaulting a peace officer with a deadly weapon.

Stevens is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in a San Luis Obispo courtroom.

He is currently being held without bail in the San Luis Obispo County Jail.