Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Patrol Operations Bureau
Support Services Bureau
-Forensic Sciences Division

Pinellas County Animal Services

Domingo R. Rodriquez (Suspect – Arrested)
DOB: 05/12/1958
Address: 3367 66^th Way North, St. Petersburg
Charges: Cruelty to Animals and Disposal of Bodies of Dead Animals

PINELLAS COUNTY – On May 14, 2024, at approximately 6:45 p.m., deputies assigned to the Patrol Operations Bureau responded to the area of East Beach at Fort Desoto Park for reports of a deceased dog wrapped in a plastic bag.

When deputies arrived, they located a male bulldog mix with its head decapitated, floating in the mangroves. Pinellas County Animal Services scanned the dog for a microchip, identifying the dog as a 4-year-old bulldog mix named Dexter. Deputies learned the suspect, 66-year-old Domingo R. Rodriguez, adopted Dexter from Pinellas County Animal Services on May 10, 2024.  

Deputies spoke with Rodriquez at his residence, where he admitted to adopting Dexter and told them that Dexter must have run away overnight on May 10^th. Rodriquez admitted to traveling to Fort Desoto Park on May 11, 2024, and provided deputies with several inconsistent statements.

Deputies arrested Rodriguez and charged him with one count of Animal Cruelty and one count of Disposal of Bodies of Dead Animals and transported him to the Pinellas County Jail.

The investigation continues.

Rodriguez’s Booking Photo:

Dexter's Adoption Photo: