Man arrested in Colorado dog breeder's killing, but the puppies are still missing

DENVER (AP) — A man suspected in the killing of a Colorado dog breeder found dead last week has been arrested, but the breeder's missing Doberman puppies still have not been found, authorities said Friday.

Sergio Ferrer, 36, was arrested Aug. 24, a few hours after the body of Paul Peavey, 57, was found on his property in the mountains just west of Denver, the Clear Creek Sheriff's Office announced. Ferrer was considered a person of interest in Peavey's death at the time but was initially arrested on an unrelated arrest warrant for failing to appear in court in Nebraska on a weapons charge, the office said.

The sheriff's office said Friday that it had gathered enough evidence with the help of other law enforcement agencies to recommend that the district attorney's office charge him with first-degree murder, felony murder and aggravated robbery in connection with Peavey's killing. The coroner's office found he had been shot, it said.

Ferrer is being represented by the public defender's office, which does not comment on its cases to the media.

Sheriff's spokesperson Jenny Fulton declined to comment on whether Ferrer is suspected of stealing the puppies. Fulton did not release any information about a possible motive for the killing.

Authorities have been trying to locate as many as 10 Doberman puppies missing from Peavey's property.

Peavey bred European Dobermans, which are more muscular and considered to be more protective than their American counterparts, said fellow Colorado breeder, Meredith Mazutis, who said she mentored Peavey and sold him the offspring of dogs she imported from Europe. European Dobermans are also much more expensive, selling for a minimum of $3,500, she said. Peavey was selling his puppies for $4,500 each, she said.

Mazutis said Peavey's adult dogs, which she provided to him, were locked in the camper he lived in and weren't able to protect him. She has offered to take them back to her home once they are released by investigators.

Peavey was a happy and trusting person who liked to get to know people directly, rather than relying on other people's judgments about them, she said.

“We all adored him,” she said.