Trial continues for man accused of decapitating dog, dumping body at Fort De Soto
Animal cruelty trial underway
The trial for a man accused of killing and dumping a rescue dog continued on Wednesday in Pinellas County. Kylie Jones reports.
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The trial for a man accused of killing and dumping a rescue dog continued on Wednesday in Pinellas County.
Domingo Rodriguez is accused of killing Dexter, a four-year-old rescue dog from Pinellas County Animal Services, and dumping his remains near Fort De Soto. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office says Rodriguez adopted Dexter from the animal shelter in May.
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Four days after he was adopted, Dexter was found decapitated in a plastic bag that was floating in the water at Fort De Soto.
Dig deeper:
In court on Wednesday, the jury heard from one of the men who found Dexter’s remains while fishing at Fort De Soto.
"I looked over to my left and noticed a transparent, opaque trash bag floating in the water, and it was very obvious that there was stuff inside it," the witness said. "The first thing I saw, it was very stiff, and you could see the thigh area of an animal."
The witness said they called law enforcement and reported the incident.
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Animal control officers tracked down Rodriguez through Dexter’s microchip.
Pictured: Dexter.
Rodriguez allegedly told investigators that Dexter had gone missing.
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What they're saying:
On Wednesday, a deputy who was involved in the investigation testified about his conversation with Rodriguez.
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"He indicated that it had been let out or ran away," the deputy said.
Investigators say security camera footage from the park shows Rodriguez’s truck driving with a cooler in the truck bed shortly before Dexter’s remains were found.
Domingo Rodriguez's truck entering Fort De Soto Park showed on surveillance cameras.
The other side:
However, Rodriguez’s attorney has previously argued that there is no evidence that Rodriguez killed and dumped Dexter.
Several of Rodrigeuz’s family members also took the stand on Wednesday, some of whom were living with him at the time Dexter was adopted.
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Rodriguez’s family members living with him said they weren’t directly with Rodriguez or Dexter the entire time they were at home but never saw him show any aggressive behavior towards the dog.
"Did you ever see my client harm the dog in any way?" the Defense asked Rodriguez’s wife.
Rodriguez's wife testifying on his behalf on Wednesday.
"‘No.’" Rodriguez’s wife said. "Did you ever see my client scream at the dog or act aggressively toward the dog? ‘No’. Did you ever witness my client make any gestures or verbal aggressions toward the dog in question? ‘No’."
Rodriguez’s attorney also questioned the witness who found Dexter’s remains.
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The witness said he didn’t see anyone drop the bag or know how long it had been in the water.
"It’s a big waterway area," the witness said. "There are plenty of places to put anything in there."
What's next:
On Wednesday, the jury also heard testimony from the Fort De Soto Park ranger, an animal control officer, and an animal forensics official.
The trial is expected to continue with more witness testimony on Thursday.
The Source: FOX 13's Kylie Jones collected the information in this story.
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