Victor Manuel Carrion‑Flores, 80, gets jail time, probation following thorough Sheriff's Office dog death investigation
Here's Max in a more healthy time. (Photo/Osceola County Sheriff's Office)
A Kissimmee man arrested in March for discarding his injured dog in a Poinciana dumpster in March has been sentenced for animal cruelty.
Victor Manuel Carrion‑Flores, 80, was arrested on March 9 and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a third‑degree felony under Florida law. Following an investigation into the death of "Max", Carrion-Flores pled guilty last week to that charge as well as a misdemeanor of abandoning an animal to die.
He was sentenced to 20 days in jail, 24 months of probation and can have no possession of any animals. He must also complete an 8-hour animal cruelty prevention class, must register on the FDLE animal cruelty registry and make restitution to Osceola County Animal Services and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, a Sheriff's spokesperson said.
"OCSO Sgt. Stephanie King went above and beyond to complete a thorough investigation into Max’s death," the Osceola County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Tuesday. "An autopsy was performed and confirmed that the dog had suffered blunt force trauma."
According to an arrest affidavit from March, on March 7 a store employee heard whimpering coming from inside a dumpster. And called police. Inside, deputies found Max, the small Jack Russell terrier mix lying on a piece of cardboard, unable to move, malnourished and was suffering from visible head trauma, bleeding from the head.
Animal Control took possession of the dog, and 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.
Shopping center video footage showed a beige Ford pickup truck pull up to the dumpster a suspect, later identified as 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. Police were able to ultimately identify Carrion‑Flores through his vehicle’s license plate and social media photos of the dog.
When interviewed by Sheriff’s deputies the following day, 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.
