Prosecutors in Florida have released home surveillance footage that appears to show a 42-year-old Marine Corps veteran brutally torturing his 6-year-old stepson, beating, kicking, and whipping him with a switch while also placing a pink dog collar around his neck and repeatedly yanking it hard enough to knock the victim off his feet.
The defendant, Zachary Perez, is currently charged with one count of aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm.
The videos, obtained by Law&Crime, appeared to show Perez engaging in a series of disturbingly abusive behaviors toward the child, whose identity is completely redacted from the footage.
In one video, Perez was seen holding a pink dog leash, which authorities said was attached to the 6-year-old’s neck, as he walked him around the backyard. Others showed the boy walking around the yard, carrying a backpack that authorities said was full of rocks.
Another video appeared to show the child jumping on his bed for several seconds before a man dressed in a black shirt and shorts opened the bedroom door and kicked the boy somewhere between his stomach and head, knocking him down onto the bed.
“Get your f—ing shoes on, bitch,” the man, who authorities believe is Perez, yells at the boy.
A video clip from the living room showed Perez entering from the outside and holding the door open for the boy, who then runs by, Perez kicking him as he goes. Another image appeared to show Perez chasing the boy through the yard with a long, thin wooden stick.
The most disturbing video is heavily redacted, but according to court documents, it appears to show the alleged victim standing in the yard with the dog collar around his neck when the blurred image is abruptly yanked several feet backwards. The boy appeared to be completely lifted off the ground before hitting the grass.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Perez was arrested in May, shortly after his mother reported the alleged abuse to authorities. He was released on house arrest last month.
During a court hearing in June, a Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office deputy testified about what investigators discovered about the alleged abuse after reviewing surveillance footage from both inside and outside the home.
“The defendant had beat, punched him in the face multiple times, and put a dog leash around his neck,” the deputy told Miami ABC affiliate WPLG.
“He had swollen eyes from being hit and numerous marks from the tree branch. He had a few scrapes and bruises. He had a rash on his neck due to the collar.”
The deputy also described text messages that Perez allegedly sent to the victim’s mother after she reported his alleged abusive behavior to authorities.
“He said, ‘Get home,'” the deputy stated. “He was going to make sure she paid. He said, ‘You’ll remember Mother’s Day.
Assistant State Attorney Wily Wisset told the court that since Perez’s arrest, her office had received numerous calls from women who had previously been in relationships with him and claimed to have witnessed or experienced similar abuse at his hands, making them fearful of him, according to Miami NBC affiliate WTVJ.
“He freaks out. He threatens to kill them. He threatens to kill his ex-wife, his children, and everyone. “And he threatens them with a gun,” prosecutors said, referring to Perez as “a ticking time bomb.”
Perez has pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him. According to court records, he is scheduled to appear again on August 28.
