New charges against Waukegan man accused of torturing, killing dogs
A Waukegan man jailed and ordered held on $750,000 bail last week for using hammers, a baseball bat and a plastic bag to kill three dogs now faces new charges for attacking a family member, authorities said.
Juan Rositas, 49, could be sentenced to 30 years in prison if found guilty on charges of armed violence in the attack on the unidentified family member in Rositas' home in the 100 block of Fulton Avenue between April 5 and April 10, Assistant State's Attorney Jason Humke said. Rositas also faces charges of aggravated domestic battery, intimidation, unlawful restraint and stalking in that case, Humke said.
Rositas is held in Lake County jail until he posts the required 10 percent of his bail and he receives psychological testing through Lake County pretrial services.
The charges filed Tuesday are in addition to felony counts of animal torture and aggravated animal cruelty filed against him April 22, Humke said. Rositas could be sentenced up to seven years in prison if he's found guilty in the deaths of three pit bull dogs between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.
Authorities said one dog was repeatedly choked, hit with a claw hammer and punched repeatedly while living in Rositas' home. It was killed when Rositas placed a plastic bag over its head and suffocated it, authorities said.
Another dog was punched and kicked repeatedly during a two-week period in December, before it was killed when Rositas hit it in the head with a sledgehammer, authorities said. The third dog was hit repeatedly with a claw hammer and a baseball bat until it died Jan. 1, authorities said.
The dogs were buried in Rositas' backyard, authorities said. All three animals were later exhumed from the property and given a canine autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Rositas is due back in court May 19 for a preliminary hearing.