‘You’ll remember’: New allegations against ‘ticking time bomb’ stepdad accused of using dog collar to repeatedly yank beaten 6-year-old to ground

New details person emerged successful the disturbing lawsuit of a 42-year-old antheral successful Florida accused of abusing his 6-year-old stepson, allegedly beating, kicking, and whipping the kid with a power portion besides placing a canine collar astir his neck and repeatedly yanking it hard capable to propulsion the unfortunate disconnected his feet, among different assorted forms of transgression mistreatment.

The defendant, Zachary Perez, is presently facing 1 number of aggravated kid maltreatment resulting successful large bodily harm.

Perez appeared successful a Miami-Dade courtroom connected Tuesday, wherever prosecutors with the authorities attorney’s bureau asked Eleventh Judicial Circuit Judge Richard Hersch to support him successful detention pending trial, referring to Perez arsenic “a ticking clip bomb,” according to a report from Miami ABC affiliate WPLG.

Additional allegations against Perez were revealed done statements from instrumentality enforcement officials who testified during the proceeding astir what they saw connected surveillance footage from wrong the family’s location and the information the alleged unfortunate was successful erstwhile they arrived.

In summation to the alleged beatings and usage of a canine collar, the deputies said that Perez besides forced the 6-year-old to tally portion wearing a backpack filled with rocks.

“The suspect had beat, punched him successful the look aggregate times, enactment a canine leash astir his neck,” a lawman with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office reportedly said. “He had swollen eyes from being hit, helium had galore marks from the histrion branch. He had a mates of scratches, a mates of bruises. He had a rash connected his cervix from the collar.”

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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.

“He freaks out. He threatens to termination them. He says helium volition termination his ex-wife, his kids, he’s going to termination everybody. And helium threatens them with a gun,” prosecutors reportedly said.

Testifying connected behalf of her son, Perez’s parent reportedly said helium suffered from a traumatic encephalon wounded and PTSD arsenic a effect of his clip serving with the Marine Corps successful Iraq. She asked that helium beryllium placed connected location apprehension truthful helium could person intelligence wellness treatment, but Hersch yet rejected the request. He granted prosecutors’ petition to support Perez successful pretrial detention but besides allowed the defence to contiguous the results of a intelligence wellness valuation successful the future.

As Law&Crime previously reported, 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.

Perez is alleged to person abused the lad successful this mode for 2 days earlier authorities were called to the location connected Saturday, May 10.

Perez remains successful detention astatine the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond.