A woman residing in Hialeah was arrested this week and faces three felony charges of animal cruelty with intent to injure or kill, after surveillance cameras captured her repeatedly hitting a dog she was caring for at the Metro Parc Apartments complex, located on East 26th Street.
The investigation began unexpectedly: a tenant of the building reported finding feces on a wall next to an elevator, prompting a receptionist to review the security footage, where they recognized Miriam Yilian De La Rosa, a 42-year-old resident of the building.
The images from September 16 document at least three episodes of mistreatment. In the first, De La Rosa was leaving the building with three dogs —two in a stroller and the foster dog on a leash— when it broke free from the collar and escaped; she chased it down, grabbed it by the neck, and flipped it over, holding it face down by the legs.
Minutes later, already inside the building, the cameras show her hitting the dog in the face approximately eight times in an apparently unprovoked attack while walking it.
That same night, inside the elevator, a third incident was reported: De La Rosa hit the animal in the face about ten times, held it by one of its front legs, and continued to assault it while the dog urinated and defecated due to the blows.
Upon being arrested, the accused told the police that she had been fostering the animal for about two months and that the dog had been mistreated previously.
The Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer found probable cause during the initial appearance, set bail at $7,500 —$2,500 for each charge— and ordered De La Rosa to stay away from the animal. By the end of Friday, the accused had not posted bail and remained in custody.
Miami-Dade Animal Services took custody of the three dogs to ensure their safety and subject them to a medical evaluation, although the agency was unable to confirm which foster program the victim animal belonged to.
The neighbors of the building reacted with outrage upon seeing the images. Noelbis Delaroz, owner of a 14-year-old chihuahua, stated: "I treat my dog like my own family. I could never harm her or mistreat her, no matter what. For a person to mistreat an animal like that is horrible."
For his part, Ruben Pobada stated that he knew the accused but had never seen her hit her animals before watching the videos: "I don't understand when people fight with dogs. If you have three dogs, it's because you love them. It's not logical. My dog is my son, my daughter."
The Hialeah Police declined a televised interview but issued a statement reaffirming their commitment to investigating cases of animal cruelty and holding offenders accountable when the evidence supports it.
Each of the three third-degree animal cruelty charges in Florida carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The case is particularly significant because the arrest coincided with the enactment of the HB 559, Florida's new animal cruelty law, which establishes a public registry of convicted offenders managed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and increases civil fines for violations of local animal control ordinances up to $7,500 in repeat offender cases.
This incident occurs just days after another arrest for animal cruelty in Miami, when Kevin Alexander Benjamin, 27 years old, was detained after a video went viral showing a puppy abandoned on the balcony of a luxury building, leading to over 100 reports to the authorities and resulting in a third-degree felony charge.
Those who detect animal abuse in Hialeah or Miami-Dade can report it by calling 911 in emergencies or 311 for non-urgent situations.
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