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Florida Man Allegedly Assaulted Pregnant Ex-Wife, Then Drowned Disabled Dog In Pool, Police Say
"You may not know how to swim but you’re going to learn tonight," Juan Manuel Gonzalez allegedly said to the injured chihuahua before tossing it into the pool.
A Florida man was arrested after he allegedly assaulted his pregnant ex-wife and killed her disabled chihuahua, police say.
Police apprehended Juan Manuel Gonzalez, 40, after responding to a domestic disturbance at around 11 p.m. on Oct. 19, according to the Sun Sentinel, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based news organization. The ex-wife of Gonzalez, who is unnamed in reports due to her status as a victim of domestic violence, told police that Gonzalez had grabbed her face during an argument and cut her lip.
Gonzalez allegedly told police that the fight began because the victim had "disrespected" him.
“The victim advised that during the physical altercation, the defendant was screaming and yelling and destroying personal property within the house,” reads the arrest report.
As the argument escalated, Gonzalez grabbed the victim's 7-year-old dog and intentionally threw him into the pool knowing the animal would not survive, according to the Pembroke Pines Police Department Facebook Page. The dog was unable to swim to safety, as its paw was disabled. The dog's death was described by police as "inhumane."
"We would like to remind our community that there is no excuse for any act of domestic violence or animal abuse," the Pembroke Pines Police Department wrote on their Facebook Page.
Capt. Al Ixques described the statements made by Gonzalez.
“The suspect made a statement to the effect that, ‘You may not know how to swim but you’re going to learn tonight,’ which is just adding insult to injury,” he told the Sun Sentinel. “It was heard yelping for a short period of time until, unfortunately, the dog drowned.”
Police have identified Gonzalez as the "primary" aggressor in the incident. He is facing charges of domestic violence and animal cruelty, according to arrest records.
Gonzalez has denied the domestic violence charges but admitted to hurling the injured animal into the water.
[Photo: Broward County Sheriff's Office]
