Sentenced, Armando Corzo Jr Crime called the crime heinous and “cruel

 

A Big Pine Key man has been sentenced to three years in state prison for beating a poodle so badly that it nearly died.

 

In handing down the sentence to Armando Corzo Jr., 38, on July 27, Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Mark Jones called the crime “heinous” and “cruel.”

 

“The dog almost died,” Jones told Corzo, convicted by a jury of felony aggravated animal abuse on June 22 after a day-and-a-half-long trial. “It certainly suffered.”

 

Jones also cited Corzo’s history – 20 prior convictions for crimes ranging from possession of controlled substances to fleeing and eluding law enforcement to resisting arrest with violence — for his decision.

 

Corzo’s prison term will be followed by two consecutive years of probation and 100 hours of community service. He also must undergo a psychological evaluation and substance-abuse evaluation; complete an anger-management course; and pay the costs of the investigation and prosecution of the case, court costs and restitution to Teresa Alo, the dog’s owner, for veterinarian bills.

 

Corzo will get credit for time served in the Monroe County Detention Center since his arrest April 26.

 

Assistant State Attorney Christina Cory represented the state.

 

The jury found that Corzo brutally beat the poodle named Ameretta on April 25. The dog lost portions of her teeth, had bruised ears, and her left eye was completely red from numerous broken blood vessels, according to testimony. Ameretta also had blood in her urine, a sign of damage to her kidneys.

 

Throughout the trial, witnesses described the dog as nearly lifeless after she was discovered by Alo. Ameretta has since recovered from her physical injuries but Alo told Jones at sentencing that the dog has “lost her spark” and is now afraid of people.

 

Corzo, who acted as his own attorney at trial, said the state presented no evidence he harmed Ameretta and claimed the witnesses against him were unreliable. During his closing argument, he used the word “staged” to describe the crime scene and told the jury that “just because someone says it’s so doesn’t make it so.”

 

But the jury found the state’s witnesses – Alo, two other witnesses, two veterinarians and two deputies – credible and returned the guilty verdict within an hour.

 

Alo testified that the night of April 25, she returned home from work and unlike other nights, Ameretta did not greet her as the other dog, Cappuccino, had.  She found Ameretta in the hallway of her Big Pine apartment and “she looked like she was dead.” “She couldn’t move,” Alo testified.

 

Corzo, then her boyfriend, was there and denied doing anything to the dog, Alo said.

 

She picked up Ameretta, went outside and found a neighbor, and they along with a friend of the neighbor drove Ameretta to the Marathon Veterinary Hospital, which has a 24-hour emergency room. They also called 911.

 

ER veterinarian Helen Ingraham testified that when brought in, Ameretta was in “critical” condition. She had “no motor function in her limbs.” Asked if Ameretta suffered and was in pain, she said, “Absolutely.”

 

She and fellow veterinarian Aundria del Pino testified Ameretta’s injuries were caused by blunt force trauma that could not have been caused by Ameretta injuring herself, another animal injuring her or by getting struck by a car. Ingraham testified the injuries were consistent with “kicking, punching.”

 

When Alo returned home from the Marathon Veterinary Hospital, she called Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Vince Pacifico after finding what she believed to be blood in her apartment.

 

Pacifico, who had tried unsuccessfully to contact Corzo to get a statement, went to Alo’s apartment and took photos. He testified there was blood on the floor, on a wall “several feet from the floor,” in a door jamb, on a cabinet and on a hanging decorative towel.

 

One of Alo’s neighbors and the neighbor’s friend testified that earlier in the night, they knocked on Alo’s door to see if she was around. She wasn’t but Corzo was in her apartment with the dogs, who were physically fine but appeared scared. Both testified Corzo said something about reprimanding the dogs before they left to go to the complex’s common area where they were soon joined by Corzo, who stayed for between 20 and 45 minutes before heading back to the apartment.

 

The neighbor and her friend testified that Corzo was the only person at Alo’s apartment between the time of their visit and when Alo returned home from work and found Ameretta injured.

 

After Alo came home and found Ameretta, Corzo rode away on his bicycle. Pacifico found him at his house the next day and arrested him.

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]