Stepdad used dog collar to repeatedly yank 6-year-old boy to floor from behind after beatings with tree branch, fists: Sheriff

A 42-year-old antheral successful Florida has been arrested aft being accused of abusing his 6-year-old stepson, allegedly beating and kicking the kid portion besides placing a canine collar astir his neck and repeatedly yanking it capable to propulsion the unfortunate disconnected his feet. Zachary Perez was taken into custody connected Saturday and charged with 1 number of aggravated kid maltreatment resulting successful large bodily harm, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.

According to tribunal documents obtained by Miami ABC affiliate WPLG, connected the evening of Thursday, May 8, 2025, Perez and the kid were some successful their household location successful southwest Miami-Dade County erstwhile Perez punched the small lad successful the look with a closed fist respective times. The punches reportedly caused the kid to endure aggregate bruises.

Later that aforesaid evening, Perez allegedly grabbed a canine collar and fastened it astir the boy’s neck. Holding an attached canine leash, authorities said Perez repeatedly positioned himself down the unfortunate and forcefully yanked the leash, pulling the lad to the ground.

Additionally, investigators said that Perez kicked the unfortunate successful the tummy aggregate times and utilized a portion of a histrion subdivision — sometimes called a “switch” — to onslaught the boy, Miami NBC affiliate WTVJ reported.

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Perez is alleged to person abused the lad successful this mode for 2 days earlier deputies with the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office were called to the location connected Saturday and took him into custody.

Perez appeared successful tribunal connected Sunday, wherever a magistrate justice ordered him to beryllium held without bond. He besides formally pleaded not blameworthy to the kid maltreatment complaint and the tribunal appointed a nationalist defender to correspond him successful the matter.

Court records amusement that Perez was scheduled to look successful tribunal again connected Monday morning. A proceeding connected his pretrial detention is presently calendared for Thursday.

Perez is presently being held successful the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond.

Should Perez beryllium released connected bond, a justice has already issued an bid prohibiting him from having immoderate interaction with the kid and requiring Perez to enactment astatine slightest 500 feet distant from the lad astatine each times, Miami CBS affiliate WFOR reported.