GOLDEN, Colo. -- Jefferson County authorities said they have arrested suspect in the burning of three dogs, 7NEWS reported Wednesday.

The suspect was questioned by investigators with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and then booked into the county jail Wednesday evening, but his name wasn't released.

"It's a heinous offense, obviously," said Ted Mink, the Jefferson County sheriff. "Setting a helpless animal on fire kind of tugs at the heartstrings of the community and society in general, so it's very important that we followed up on this and get the suspect in here so that this doesn't happen in the future."

The 19-year-old man came to the Sheriff's Department voluntarily and was taken into custody following a lengthy interview. Charges against the man were pending.

The break in the case came Monday when the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office released enhanced surveillance photographs of the suspect in the burning of dogs in February.

The suspect resembles the man in the photographs.

The surveillance photos (pictured, left) show either a burn or scrape on the man's right lower jaw and cheek. He also appeared to have some type of tattoo on his upper right arm. It also appeared that the man had some facial hair around his mouth, according to investigators. It is believed that the suspect has similar markings.

The photos were enhanced from grainy surveillance videotape taken at a store near where one of the incidents occurred. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation enhanced the photographs to bring out details that couldn't be seen in the original videotape.

According to investigators, a worker at Bally's Health Club on Bowles Avenue near Southwest Plaza walked outside around 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 and smelled something burning.

He saw a small dog on fire with its legs bound at the bottom of a stairwell. He also saw a man, standing on top of the stairs, holding two other dogs. When the man saw that he was spotted, he dropped one of the dogs and ran away with the other dog. The dog in the stairwell was left at the scene, where it died.

Evidence left at the scene indicated that the accelerant poured on the dog was purchased from Walgreens.

Video

Watch Surveillance Video

Investigators then obtained surveillance video at the nearby Walgreens store at West Bowles Avenue and South Kipling Street.

The video shows a man walking into the store approximately 35 minutes before the dispatch call at Bally's Fitness Center is aired to patrol units.

On the video, the man nervously looks around the store and then purchases a couple of items that could be used as an accelerant.

Earlier that night, a worker at the Colorado Cinemas Olde Town 14 movie theater in Arvada, Colo., discovered a kennel inside a burning trash bin located behind the building. Locked inside were two dogs, yelping. The worker grabbed a fire extinguisher and was able to put the fire out but it was too late for one of the puppies.

The animal had been burned beyond recognition, police said.

The 8-week-old black lab that survived and was taken to Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital, where she was treated for burns to her face and paws and smoke inhalation. Doctors expect her to make a complete recovery.

Both dogs' mouths and paws had been bound with duct tape, investigators said.

Englewood police said the puppies and the kennel were stolen from the Colorado Humane Society Shelter, at 2760 S. Platte River Drive, on Monday night. The Humane Society's director said the burglar broke a rear window to gain access inside the Englewood building and to steal four dogs.

The two puppies that were burned in Arvada were undergoing treatment for an upper respiratory condition and an orthopedic condition when they were taken from the observation area at the shelter, said Mary Warren, the executive director for the Colorado Humane Society.

A $17,000 reward was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the man responsible for the attacks.