Prosecutor: Waukegan man charged with killing dogs also threw puppy
A Waukegan man charged this year with killing three dogs is also accused of slamming a 2-month-old puppy to the ground during a fit of rage in April, a Lake County prosecutor said in court Wednesday.
Assistant State's Attorney Ari Fisz said Juan Rositas, 49, threw the puppy named Sammy, then told a female family member "look what you made me do," and punched her in the face during an April 5 confrontation. The woman suffered a broken nose, and the puppy survived the attack, Fisz said.
Defense attorney Robert Ritacca told Judge James Booras the incident never took place.
Rositas is scheduled to go to trial Monday on charges of armed violence, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated domestic battery and intimidation in the attack on the family member between April 5 and April 10. He is accused of threatening to "chop up" the family member with a machete while she pleaded for her life during the confrontation, prosecutors said.
The female victim was also beaten, threatened with physical harm and forced under threat of violence to say she'd been having an affair during the five-day span, authorities have said.
In a separate case, Rositas faces nine counts of armed violence, animal torture and aggravated cruelty to animals for killing three dogs between November 2014 and January 2015, and burying the bodies in the yard of his Waukegan home. The trial date for that second case will not be set until the conclusion of the first trial next week.
Rositas faces 10 to 30 years in prison if he's convicted of the attacks against the family member in the first case, and an 3 to 7 years in prison if convicted of the attacks against the animals, prosecutors said.
He remains held in Lake County jail on $750,000 bail.