Police: Iraq War Marine Vet Committed "Torture" Against Six-Year-Old Stepson | Crime Alert 9AM 07.18.25

A Florida Marine veteran is caught on video yanking his 6-year-old stepson by a pink dog collar and forcing him to carry a backpack full of rocks during two days of what prosecutors call torture. A Florida woman is charged with assault after allegedly spraying bear mace on a driver who ran over a chicken she had stopped to let cross the road. Drew Nelson reports.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alart hourly update breaking crime these Now. I'm Drew Nelson,
a Florida marine veteran, is caught on video yanking his
six year old steps on by a pink dog collar
and forcing him to carry a backpack full of rocks
during two days of what prosecutors called torture. Zachary Perez,
aged forty two, was arrested in charged with aggravated child
abuse causing great bodily harm. Here's the judge.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
It says he put a place to dog collar on
the six year old step child, the stepson, and yanked
the victim backward, forcing him to the ground. If he
did this for two days, he kicked the victim in
the stomach, causing him to fall backwards, and struck him
with a tree branch causing an abridge. And I believe
that's aggravated child abuse with torture.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Footage from inside and outside his home in Miami showed
Perez dragging the boy by the neck, kicking him, chasing
him with a stick, and striking him with a tree branch.
In one video, Perez appears to scream quote get your
fing shoes on as he kicks the boy onto a bed.
Another video shows the child running with a heavy backpack.
Prosecutors say it was filled with rocks. The boy was

(01:04):
left with swollen eyes, bruises, scratches, and a rash on
his neck from the dog collar. A Miami Dad deputy
told the court that Perez punched the child in the
face multiple times. The abuse, which lasted two days, was
reported by the child's mother in court, Perez hadn't quite
grasped the gravity of the charges.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
I mean, I guess, ma'am.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
I just need to try to get back to work
for my family after sorry for everything. You're not getting
out of jail at it.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Since the arrest, five other people have come forward claiming
similar abuse. One is Perez's fourteen year old daughter. Prosecutors
described Perez as quote a ticking time bomb. Perez pleaded
not guilty. His lawyer argued that the child's mother had
asked him to help raise the boy and approved of
the discipline. Prosecutors said there was no proof of that.

(01:50):
Perez served three tours in Iraq. His mother said he
came home with PTSD, hearing loss and brain trauma. A
judge denied him bail at first, but later released him
on house arrest, he must stay five hundred feet away
from the victims. He's set to return to court August
twenty eighth. More crime and justice news after this. A

(02:15):
Florida woman is charged with assault after allegedly spraying bear
mace on a driver who ran over a chicken that
she had stopped to let cross the road. The incident
happened around a week ago in Key West. Cynthia Diaz Sosa,
eight thirty eight, had stopped her Toyota Corolla at an
intersection on Patronius Street to let a chicken pass. Another driver,
Perla Vedor de Miller, honked and went around her, hitting

(02:37):
and killing the bird. Diaz Sosa became enraged and followed
the other car. At the next intersection, diz Sosa allegedly
blocked the driver, got out and tried to open her door.
According to police, a struggle followed. Then Diez Sosa pulled
out a can of bear mace and sprayed the driver
in the face. A passenger in the car was also sprayed.
Both were treated by medics at the scene. De Miller

(02:59):
told police she was on her way to pick up
her child from daycare. A witness said they saw Diz
Sosa fleeing in a black sedan. Police later pulled her
over and arrested her. Charged her with two counts of
aggravated battery and one count of burglary with assalter battery.
She pleaded not guilty and posted a thirty five thousand
dollars bond. DZ Sosa told police she just wanted to

(03:19):
quote teach her a lesson. Her arraignment is set for
the twenty fourth. Her lawyer told people, quote, there's more
to the story and we're looking forward to her day
in court. Eighteen year old David Dave Giannette was last
seen on March third of nineteen eighty three, just before sunrise.
It's spent the night at a house party on the
Green Lake Peninsula near the Interlok And Center for the
Arts in Interloke in Michigan. Around five thirty am, he

(03:43):
spoke with a friend about heading home early so he
could make it to school. He also talked about taking
a short cut by walking across Green Lake. That friend
walked with Dave to the lake's edge and warned him
the ice wasn't safe. After that, Dave turned south and
walked away. He was never seen again. State police say
it was un un seasonably warm that year. There was
little ice on the lake, and Dave was afraid of

(04:04):
the water and couldn't swim. Despite early searches by the
Coastguard and dive teams, no body was ever found. Later
dives came up empty. Police no longer think he went
into the lake. All of Dave's belongings were still at
the cabin where he had been staying. There were no
signs he left the area on purpose. A rumor that
his body was found in Florida led nowhere. Michigan State

(04:25):
Police reopened the case in November twenty twenty two. They
received more calls and tips, but none were confirmed. Dave
was white, with long brown hair, hazel eyes, and glasses.
He was between five to three five five weigh about
one hundred and thirty pounds. He had a scar on
his left wrist and one tattoo on his belly. Police
say they hope someone will come forward to give his
family peace. Anyone with information is as to call the

(04:47):
Michigan State Police Cadillac Post at two three one seven
seventy nine sixty forty. For the latest crime and justice news,
follow Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast. Out
with this crime alert. I'm Drew Nelson,