Naperville man killed family dog, threatened to kill his stepdaughters: prosecutors
Nathan Gonzalez, 36,
NAPERVILLE, Ill. - A Naperville man is accused of killing his family's dog and threatening his stepdaughters last month.
Nathan Gonzalez, 36, has been charged with one count of aggravated cruelty to animals and two counts of misdemeanor child endangerment, according to prosecutors.
The charges relate to an incident on Sept. 29, just before 6 a.m., when police responded to a 911 call from a 14-year-old girl. She reported that her stepfather, identified as Gonzalez, had allegedly killed their family dog and was threatening to kill her and her 11-year-old stepsister.
When officers arrived, they found the two girls at the home, but Gonzalez and the family's black-and-white Shih Tzu, Rocco, were missing.
Authorities later learned that Gonzalez and his wife had been out that evening, got into a dispute and took separate rides home.
Gonzalez allegedly arrived home first, called his wife and threatened to kill the dog. When she returned home, she found Gonzalez but not the dog. During an argument, Gonzalez allegedly told his wife that he had killed Rocco and dumped the body at a construction site.
Gonzalez left the home shortly after, according to prosecutors. Hours later, police were alerted that he had returned. Officers responded, but Gonzalez had fled on foot and was later found hiding behind a dumpster a few blocks away.
The next day, Naperville Animal Control officers discovered Rocco's body at a construction site. A necropsy revealed the dog had died from blunt force trauma to the head.
"It is alleged that following a disagreement with his wife, Nathan Gonzalez violently killed Rocco, the family dog, and threatened the life of his two stepdaughters," said DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin. "These allegations, that Mr. Gonzalez killed the family dog following a dispute with his wife, are simply unconscionable. This type of conduct will not be tolerated and will be met with the full force of the law. Because of his alleged actions, Mr. Gonzalez is now facing a serious felony charge."
Gonzalez appeared in court Wednesday morning, where a judge granted the state's motion to deny him pre-trial release.
The judge also approved the state's request to detain Gonzalez on unrelated misdemeanor domestic battery charges, which accuse him of striking his wife with a baseball bat on Oct. 2.
His next court appearance is set for Nov. 18.