Man arrested for violently abusing service dog twice in Boynton Beach

Juan Latrez Poole, 52, faces felony animal cruelty charges after surveillance footage captured him slamming and choking a black lab service dog in two incidents.

Boynton Beach man charged with felony cruelty after service dog filmed being slammed and choked

Juan Latrez Poole, 52, was arrested Monday on felony animal cruelty charges after Boynton Beach Police said surveillance footage showed him violently abusing a black labrador service dog on two separate occasions, nbcmiami.com reports.

The investigation began on 9 September, when officers responded to the 2300 block of South Federal Highway following a report that a man had lifted a black lab above his head before throwing it to the ground near a bus stop outside a Taco Bell. The dog, named Rex, was wearing a red "service dog" vest and weighed approximately 50 pounds. Officers were unable to locate the man or the animal at the time.

The following day, a second witness reported a nearly identical incident. According to police, a man was seen choking a black lab with a leash, then swinging the dog in the air and striking it with a water bottle.

Investigators subsequently obtained surveillance footage from both incidents, which showed the suspect slamming the dog to the ground, lifting it by the neck, and hitting it with the bottle. Poole was identified as a suspect and confirmed by a witness who picked him out of a photo lineup.

Boynton Beach Police released the surveillance footage on Wednesday, along with video of Poole's arrest. He was booked into Palm Beach County Jail. No attorney information was available.

Rex was transferred to Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control, where he is currently available for adoption, police said.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)