ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (SLCSO) arrested a Fort Pierce man after a witness said he beat a dog with a belt and previously hung it from a tree.
SLCSO says that Delfino Roslaes, 59, is facing charges of animal cruelty, after deputies responded to the 3000 block of South U.S. 1 on Tuesday night for a disturbance call.
A woman, identified as Rosales' girlfriend, told deputies that when she returned to the home Tuesday night, she saw Rosales beating one of her dogs—a small brown and white pit bull—with a belt. She confronted him about this and and he became aggressive, choking her.
The girlfriend told deputies that he was beating the dog with the belt because it wasn't responding to his commands in English, only Spanish.
She also stated that two days ago, she witnessed Rosales hang the same brown and white pit bull from a tree in his backyard for roughly three to four minutes. He told the victim he did this because the dog attacked one of his chickens. Rosales' son reportedly intervened and took the dog away from him.
Deputies discovered a noose in Rosales' backyard, which they say was used in that incident.
Deputies say the girlfriend's young son was present during the choking incident, and he gave a statement that corroborated the woman's account. The arrest report says the boy attempted to hit Rosales as he was attacking his mother.
Animal Control also responded to the scene, and the two dogs—both owned by the girlfriend—were removed from the residence transferred to St. Lucie County Animal Control for their safety.
Rosales was charged with battery by strangulation (domestic violence), animal cruelty and child abuse. He is being held at the St. Lucie County Jail on no bond.
