Man charged, dog humanely euthanized due to injuries
A 79‑year‑old Kissimmee man was arrested Sunday on a felony animal cruelty charge after Osceola County Sheriff’s deputies say he threw his severely injured dog into a dumpster behind a Dollar Tree on Cypress Parkway and left the animal to die.
Deputies were called to a Cypress Parkway shopping center after a Rent‑A‑Center employee heard whimpering coming from inside a dumpster. Inside, deputies found a small Jack Russell terrier mix lying on a piece of cardboard, unable to move, malnourished and suffering from visible head trauma, according to an arrest affidavit. The dog had urinated on himself and was bleeding from the head.
Animal Control transported the dog — identified as “Max” — to VEC Oakland in Orlando, where veterinarians discovered multiple skull fractures, brain swelling and a hematoma. Due to the severity of the injuries and the dog’s pain, Max was humanely euthanized.
Surveillance video from the Dollar Tree Saturday showed a beige Ford pickup truck pull up to the dumpster around 12:40 p.m. The suspect, later identified as Victor Manuel Carrion‑Flores, was seen lifting the dog by its hind legs, placed him into a box and pushed the box into the dumpster before driving away, reports said Investigators canvassed nearby businesses for additional footage and ultimately identified Carrion‑Flores through his vehicle’s license plate and social media photos of the dog.
When interviewed by Sheriff’s deputies Sunday, Carrion‑Flores told deputies he had owned Max for 10 years and that the dog frequently escaped from his home. He claimed he found Max injured the previous evening but could not say where. He admitted he did not seek veterinary care, saying he was “too busy” with real‑estate work and “did not want to deal with it,” according to the affidavit. He acknowledged that Max was still alive and whimpering when he placed him in the dumpster.
Deputies determined Carrion‑Flores failed to provide necessary medical care to an animal in obvious distress. He was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a third‑degree felony under Florida law, and booked into the Osceola County Jail on a $2,500 bond, where he remained as of noontime Monday.
