CLEARWATER, Fla. – Testimony continues in a Pinellas County courtroom on Thursday in the trial of a man accused of brutally killing and dumping a rescue dog.
What happened to Dexter?
The backstory:
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said Domingo Rodriguez adopted a four-year-old bulldog mix, Dexter, from Pinellas County Animal Services in May 2024.
Pictured: Dexter.
Four days later, deputies found the dog decapitated in a plastic bag floating in the mangroves of East Beach in Fort De Soto. Pinellas County Animal Services identified Dexter through his microchip, and identified Rodriguez as his owner.
Investigators said Rodriguez admitted he adopted Dexter and that he was at Fort De Soto on the day after he adopted the dog. He said he was at the park for 20 to 25 minutes before he left.
Pictured: Domingo Rodriguez in a Pinellas County courtroom.
Domingo Rodriguez’s trial
What they’re saying:
In court on Wednesday, the jury heard from one of the men who found Dexter’s remains while fishing at Fort De Soto.
Investigators searching the area where Dexter’s remains were found at Fort De Soto Park.
“I looked over to my left and noticed a transparent, opaque trash bag floating in the water, and it was very obvious that there was stuff inside it,” the witness said. “The first thing I saw, it was very stiff, and you could see the thigh area of an animal.”
The witness said they called law enforcement and reported the incident.
Animal control officers tracked down Rodriguez through Dexter’s microchip. Rodriguez allegedly told investigators that Dexter had gone missing.
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Also on Wednesday, a deputy who was involved in the investigation testified about his conversation with Rodriguez.
“He indicated that it had been let out or ran away,” the deputy said.
Investigators say security camera footage from the park shows Rodriguez’s truck driving with a cooler in the truck bed shortly before Dexter’s remains were found.
Domingo Rodriguez’s truck entering Fort De Soto Park was shown on surveillance cameras.
The other side:
Rodriguez’s attorney has previously argued that there is no evidence that Rodriguez killed and dumped Dexter.
Several of Rodriguez’s family members also took the stand on Wednesday, some of whom were living with him at the time Dexter was adopted.
Rodriguez’s family members living with him said they weren’t directly with Rodriguez or Dexter the entire time they were at home but never saw him show any aggressive behavior toward the dog.
Pictured: Domingo Rodriguez’s wife testifying on his behalf on Wednesday.
“Did you ever see my client harm the dog in any way?” the defense asked Rodriguez’s wife.
“No,” Rodriguez’s wife said, adding she never saw him scream at Dexter or act aggressively toward him.
Rodriguez’s attorney also questioned the witness who found Dexter’s remains.
Pictured: Dexter.
The witness said he didn’t see anyone drop the bag or know how long it had been in the water.
“It’s a big waterway area,” the witness said. “There are plenty of places to put anything in there.”
What’s next:
Rodriguez faces up to five years in prison if convicted of aggravated cruelty to animals and unlawful disposal of bodies of dead animals.
The Source: This story was written using information from courtroom testimony and previous FOX 13 News reports.
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