Michael Wayne Jones, from Florida, has been charged with domestic battery, strangulation and animal abuse after he reportedly beat his girlfriend with her dog. Police from Sanford said that the couple got into an argument on Thursday at their home. According to the arrest report, Jones was angry with his girlfriend because she came home with her daughter and one of the women was trying to smoke crack cocaine.
According to reports, the girlfriend attempted to drive away from the issue but Jones stopped her. Jones exited the home, punched the windshield of the car until it broke, and pulled the dog out of the car. He then threatened to kill the dog, according to police. Jones then swung the dog in the air multiple times and when the woman tried to stop it, she was hit multiple times with the dog. Jones then choked the woman, let her go and left the scene on his bicycle with the dog.
When Jones was found by officers his hand was bleeding. He told police that he left the house out of fear for his own safety. He also told officers that he did not hurt the dog. The woman and the dog did not suffer serious injuries in the incident. Sanford Police Lt. Jim McAuliffe said, “To use [a dog] as some sort of club device … I just don’t get that.”