Man Accused of Suffocating, Beating Dogs With Sledgehammer Pleads Not Guilty

A Waukegan man accused of beating two dogs to death — using a bat, a claw hammer and a sledgehammer — and suffocating a third with a plastic bag entered not guilty pleas to numerous charges Thursday, according to the Daily Herald.

Juan Rositas, 49, of the 100 block of Fulton Street, is also accused of threatening to kill a family member with a machete, the Daily Herald reports.

He is charged with three counts of animal torture, three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and three counts of armed violence. He also faces charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated domestic battery, intimidation and stalking, according to online court records.

The dogs endured several beatings before dying, according to authorities. The police investigation began when the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office contacted Waukegan Animal Control. The crimes are believed to have taken place between Thanksgiving and January 1.

“Waukegan police Lt. Edward Fitzgerald said one dog was beaten to death with a claw hammer and another was beaten and then had a plastic bag placed over its head until it stopped breathing,” the Chicago Tribune reported in an April article.

The third dog was killed with a sledgehammer, Fitzgerald said.

Rositas remains in prison on a $750,000 bond, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday. He could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted on each of the two most serious charges in the case.

Read more on the Chicago Tribune.

Dawn Aulet contributed to this article.