Man Arrested After Adopted Dog Found Decapitated

St. Petersburg, FL - A Florida man faces animal cruelty charges after his adopted dog was found decapitated in a St. Petersburg park.

Pinellas County Sheriff's Office says deputies responded to reports of a suspicious package near Fort DeSoto Park's East Beach.

Upon arrival, deputies found a deceased dog wrapped in a plastic bag floating in the mangroves.

The dog, identified through a microchip as a four-year-old bulldog mix named Dexter, had been decapitated.

The investigation took a turn when Animal Services personnel confirmed Dexter had been adopted just days earlier, on May 10th, from their shelter.

Authorities quickly located 66-year-old Domingo Rodriguez, the man who adopted Dexter.

Rodriguez initially claimed Dexter had run away overnight following his adoption.

However, inconsistencies in Rodriguez's story and security footage placing him at Fort DeSoto Park on May 11th, raised red flags.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Rodriguez on charges of animal cruelty and improper disposal of a dead animal.

He was transported to Pinellas County Jail.

The investigation into Dexter's death remains ongoing.