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SALT LAKE CITY — A man accused of stomping and punching his dog has been charged with felony animal abuse.
Roberto Guzman, 27, of Magna, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with torture of a companion animal, a third-degree felony.
On May 19, neighbors observed Guzman pull his pit bull "Blue" out of the house and "continuously" kick and punch the dog, according to charging documents. A witness who videotaped part of the incident told officers that Guzman beat the two dogs in his house "every other day," the charges state.
Another neighbor said she saw Guzman "stomp on the dog several times," according to charging documents.
"The dogs were pinned up against the house as (Guzman) repeatedly kicked, stomped and punched the dogs," the charges state.
Police took Blue to a veterinarian where it was discovered he had eight broken ribs, a broken femur and broken vertebra as well as other prior injuries that were in the process of healing, according to court documents.
The charge comes less than a month after Guzman was convicted of assault in a domestic violence incident. In that case, Guzman punched another man and threw nails at him, according to court documents. He was placed on probation for a year. Guzman was also convicted of felony drug possession in 2010, assault on a police officer in 2009. In 2015, Guzman pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for an incident on Christmas Eve 2014, court records state. He was ordered to complete an anger management class.
