Salvador Carbajal Garcia, 40, was sentenced today for Aggravated Animal Cruelty. He was
found guilty on February 6th following a two-day trial in Lee County. The Honorable Judge
Bruce Kyle withheld adjudication and sentenced the defendant to 364 days in the Lee County
Jail as a special condition of 5 years of probation.
The defendant is not allowed to have any contact or possession of any pets as part of his
sentence. He must also undergo a mental health evaluation and follow all recommended
treatment. He must also attend anger management counseling. The defendant was also ordered to
pay court costs and the cost of prosecution. Restitution was ordered and reserved.
On March 4, 2019, an Animal Control Officer from Lee County Domestic Animal Services
responded to a complaint about a dog tied to a basketball post in a driveway of a home in Lehigh
Acres, with no shelter. The officer found the dog with a leash around his neck, tied in knots,
attached to the post. The brown and white dog had a large open wound around his neck from the
leash. The makeshift leash collar became embedded into the skin.
A veterinarian testified at trial that the wound on the dog’s neck was at least 25 days old. The
dog was in distress. There was a BMW in the driveway and the dog had been pulling to try to get
to the car to find shelter but the knotted leash was not long enough.
The officer took custody of the dog to get him medical care as no one answered the door at the
home. The defendant, who had the dog named “Walter” for several years, went to animal
services to sign away custody of the dog
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office joined the investigation and arrested Garcia after gathering
further evidence. The evidence included witnesses who had seen the ongoing problem of the lack
of care of “Walter.”
Assistant State Attorney Erin Hughes and Felony Court Chief Tyler Lovejoy prosecuted the case.
Samantha Syoen
Communications Director
State Attorney’s Office
ssyoen@sao20.org
239-533-1125