HIGH SPRINGS – A 46-year-old High Springs man was arrested on a felony animal cruelty charge after witnesses told police they saw him repeatedly punch and kick a dog.
Nicholas Matthew Alex was arrested following an Aug. 25 incident in the 23700 block of Northwest 184th Place, according to a High Springs Police Department report.
An officer responded to the area at about 9:30 a.m. after a woman reported seeing a man striking a dog.
The woman told police she was driving on Northwest 237th Street when she saw the man repeatedly punch the dog with a closed fist. She said she confronted him and told him to stop, at which point he allegedly became aggressive toward her.
The woman and another witness both told police they saw the man repeatedly grab the dog by its leash and forcefully kick the animal, according to the report.
Alex reportedly acknowledged punching the dog but told police he did so in an effort to “remove the dog from the roadway.”
Alex was charged with felony animal cruelty.
According to court records cited in the arrest information, Alex has eight prior felony convictions and five misdemeanor convictions, including one involving violence.
Judge Meshon Rawls ordered Alex released on his own recognizance, meaning he was not required to post bail. As a condition of his release, Alex is prohibited from possessing animals while the case is pending.
Rawls ordered him released on his own recognizance with the condition that he cannot possess any animals.
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