Waukegan man denies threatening relative over 6 days, killing 3 dogs
A Waukegan man pleaded not guilty in court Thursday to accusations he used weapons - including a sledgehammer - to kill three dogs and threatened to kill a family member with a machete.
Juan Rositas, 49, repeatedly shook his head no as Judge James Booras meticulously listed the charges associated with what authorities call attacks against the animals and the family member from Thanksgiving 2014 to April 2015.
If found guilty of the most serious charges, Rositas could be sentenced to 37 years in prison, Lake County prosecutors said. Rositas remains held in Lake County jail on $750,000 bail, authorities said.
Rositas is officially charged in two separate criminal cases, one for the crimes against the family member and a second for the crimes against the animals, officials said.
Booras said Rositas is charged with armed violence for threatening to "chop up" the family member with the machete while she pleaded for her life during a confrontation from April 5 to April 10.
Booras also said the victim was threatened with physical harm if she went to the hospital and was forced to say she'd been having an affair.
In all, Rositas faces up to 15 counts of armed violence, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated domestic battery and intimidation for the threats made to the family member.
In the second case, Booras said, Rositas tied up and beat a dog named Toro with a sledgehammer, suffocated a dog named Bandit, then struck a third dog named Ranger in the body.
All three dogs died and were buried in Rositas' backyard between November 2014 and January 2015. The dogs were later exhumed and autopsied by investigators.
Rositas faces nine total counts of armed violence, animal torture and aggravated cruelty to animals.
He could be sentenced to 10 to 30 years in prison if he's convicted of the attacks against the family member, Assistant State's Attorney Jason Humke said. Rositas faces 3 to 7 years in prison if convicted of the attacks against the animals.
Prosecutors have not discussed motivation.
Defense attorney Robert Ritacca said he intends to secure an expert and take the case to trial.
"The injuries to the animals are not consistent to what the police report indicates," Ritacca said before Thursday's arraignment hearing.
In court, Ritacca requested an Aug. 3 trial date.
Barb Feig, an advocate with Safe Humane Chicago, said her group expects Rositas to be prosecuted to the "fullest extent of the law."
"And, should he be released from prison, we would want a no-contact-with-animals order in place to make sure he not be allowed to own an animal ever again," Feig said.
The two sides are due back in court June 18.