'He will kill us': Ex-marine who allegedly used pink dog collar to repeatedly yank 6-year-old stepson off feet by neck offered jail-free deal, shocking victim's mother

A 42-year-old Marine Corps seasoned successful Florida who was allegedly recorded torturing his 6-year-old stepson — placing a pink canine collar astir his neck and repeatedly yanking it hard capable to propulsion the unfortunate wide disconnected his feet portion besides beating, kicking, and whipping the child with a power — volition apt debar situation acknowledgment to an connection from prosecutors that has near the victim's parent incensed.

Despite a plethora of footage allegedly depicting carnal abuse, the Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney confirmed that it offered Zachary Perez a plea woody that would see 2 years of location apprehension with mandatory GPS monitoring followed by an further 10 years of probation, according to a report from Miami NBC affiliate WTVJ.

"Damaging oregon removing the GPS show during that play of location apprehension would pb to him returning to jail," a spokesperson for the prosecutors' bureau told the station. "This plea, which has the suspect successful custody for 2 years, would debar the necessity of having to enactment the kid unfortunate connected the witnesser basal during a proceedings to beryllium cross-examined by the defendant's lawyers, thing the child's parent has indicated she was unwilling to allow."

Perez was arrested earlier this year and charged with 1 number of aggravated kid maltreatment resulting successful large bodily harm, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years successful situation and a $10,000 fine. During a erstwhile hearing, prosecutors referred to Perez arsenic "a ticking clip bomb."

As previously reported, the videos, which were obtained by Law&Crime, appeared to amusement Perez successful May 2025 engaged successful a bid of abusive behaviors toward the child, who is wholly redacted from the footage.

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The victim's mother, who chose not to uncover her individuality for the involvement of her family's safety, told the presumption that she was "horrified" erstwhile she learned astir the abuse, emphasizing that she did not enactment the woody prosecutors offered Perez.

"It's an implicit slap successful the look considering what helium has done to my kid and the trauma helium caused," she said successful an exclusive interrogation with WTVJ. "I fearfulness that helium volition travel backmost and helium volition termination us. I inactive proceed to fearfulness that wherever I go, I americium perpetually looking implicit my shoulder."

In 1 video, Perez could beryllium seen holding a pinkish canine leash that authorities said was attached to the 6-year-old's cervix arsenic Perez walked him astir the perimeter of the backyard. Others appeared to amusement the lad walking astir the gait carrying a backpack that authorities person said was filled with rocks.

Another appeared to amusement the kid jumping connected his furniture for respective seconds erstwhile a antheral dressed successful a achromatic garment and shorts opened the chamber doorway and conscionable kicked the lad determination betwixt his tummy and head, sending him sprawling down onto the bed.

"Get your f—ing shoes connected b—," the man, who authorities accidental is Perez, past yells to the boy.

A clip from the surviving country appeared to amusement Perez entering from extracurricular and holding the doorway unfastened for the boy, who soon goes moving by, with Perez kicking him arsenic helium does. Another appeared to amusement Perez chasing the lad successful the gait with a long, bladed woody stick.

Another video clip, which has been mostly redacted but described successful tribunal documents, appeared to amusement the unfortunate lasting successful the gait with the canine collar astir his cervix erstwhile helium is abruptly yanked backwards respective feet. The lad appeared to beryllium afloat lifted disconnected the crushed earlier hitting the grass.

During a tribunal proceeding successful June, a lawman with the Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office testified astir what investigators uncovered astir the alleged maltreatment portion combing done the surveillance footage from wrong and extracurricular of the home.

"The suspect had beat, punched him successful the look aggregate times, enactment a canine leash astir his neck," the lawman said, per Miami ABC affiliate WPLG.

"He had swollen eyes from being hit, helium had galore marks from the histrion branch," the lawman besides said. "He had a mates of scratches, a mates of bruises. He had a rash connected his cervix from the collar."

The lawman besides recounted substance messages Perez allegedly sent to the victim's parent aft she reported his allegedly abusive behaviour to authorities.

"He said 'Get home,'" the lawman testified. "He was going to marque her pay. He said, 'You'll retrieve Mother's Day.'"

Assistant State Attorney Wily Wisset told the tribunal that since Perez's arrest, her bureau had received aggregate calls from women antecedently progressive successful relationships with the suspect who claimed to person witnessed oregon experienced akin maltreatment astatine his hands and were acrophobic of him, Miami NBC affiliate WTVJ reported.

WTVJ reported that Perez has yet to judge the deal, which yet indispensable beryllium approved by Circuit Court Judge Alberto Millian. Perez is reportedly expected to marque a determination connected the connection adjacent week.