TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A 19-year-old has been arrested in Tallahassee, accused of repeatedly punching his girlfriend's dog in the head.
Anthony Mayers was arrested on Monday after police responded to an apartment in the 2600 block of Vista Rise for a domestic disturbance. An arrest document says Mayers was one of the people involved in the incident.
While there, officers discovered Mayers had a warrant out for his arrest. They police took him into custody without incident and transported him to the Leon County Jail.
Court documents say the warrant out on Mayers was for animal cruelty.
Back in March 2017, an officer were called to the 3000 block of South Adams Street about a person beating a dog.
The apartment complex's property manager told police that she heard a dog "crying like it was in a trap" and when she walked toward the sound, she saw Mayers hitting a dog on the balcony of an apartment.
Police say the manager described the strikes as both "open hand and closed fist punches to the dogs' head." She said the dog was backed into a corner as Mayers repeatedly punched and slapped the dog.
Documents say Mayer stopped hitting the dog once the dog's owner, who is Mayers' girlfriend, came out of the apartment.
Another witness told officers that he was awakened by the dog "screaming." When he looked outside, he said he saw Mayers hitting the dog before he stopped and went back inside the apartment.
Later on, according to the witness, Mayers went back outside and started punching the dog again. At that point, the witness said he went outside and told Mayers to "chill" to which Mayers responded that the dog had urinated on him.
Officers write that the witness stated he felt the dog needed to be taken away by law enforcement because he was worried Mayers "will eventually beat the dog to death."
When police talked to Mayers, he said the dog had "peed" on his shin so he began to "smack the dog because he knew he did wrong," but denied punching the dog.
As a result of an investigation, officers were able to get a warrant out for Mayers arrest.
Mayers was charged with animal cruelty and remains in the Leon County Jail. He has not been charged in the domestic disturbance incident.
