Man Who Beat Dog With Belt In Woodridge Sentenced To 18 Months

WOODRIDGE, IL — A man who beat a dog with a belt in Woodridge in 2020 has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

In May 2022, Irmani Lewiel, 27, of Matteson, pleaded guilty to a felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals.

Woodridge police were called by an employee from VCA Arboretum View Animal Hospital in Downers Grove on Sept. 5, 2020, with a report of a 7-year-old shih tzu, Bella, who had been abused. The dog's owners told police she got home from work to find Bella injured and then asked Lewiel, who was her boyfriend at the time, to take Bella to the veterinarian.

An investigation led police to discover that Lewiel had "whooped [Bella] in the mouth" with a belt five times after she went to the bathroom inside the house. The veterinarian who examined Bella after the incident reported that the dog had fractured eye sockets and ribs, air pocketing beneath her skin, pelvic bruising and bleeding and broken teeth.

After the incident, Bella had to be fed with a syringe.

Bella recovered after she was treated, but her owners forfeited her and a second dog, both of whom were subsequently adopted.

"In DuPage County, animal cruelty is taken very seriously," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.

He added, "What I find particularly alarming in this case is the amount of pain and suffering Mr. Lewiel inflicted upon a small, defenseless dog. Thankfully, Bella has recovered from her injuries and is living comfortably with a loving, caring family."