BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – The ex-wife of a man accused of duct-taping a dog’s mouth and paws shut and chaining it to a vehicle is now facing criminal charges herself, according to Broward jail records.
Alma de la Rosa appeared to roll her eyes as Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies took her booking photo Thursday, but she faces a serious felony charge that could land her in prison for up to five years: aggravated animal cruelty.
The 56-year-old also faces a perjury charge. Prosecutors said in court Friday that de la Rosa “lied to police, putting all the blame on her ex-husband,” Jose Humberto Arana Ramos.
Authorities said de la Rosa spoke to a BSO deputy prior to the arrest of Arana Ramos, who she claimed left the dog bound and chained outside for about an hour Tuesday with no food or water available.
Deputies went to the apartment the two share on Southwest 21st Street in the unincorporated Broadview Park area after receiving an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip.
They said that de la Rosa told them that Arana Ramos, 74, tied the dog’s mouth shut because it “was barking too loud” and tied its front paws “because he will scratch the car when tied to it.”
According to Arana Ramos’ arrest report, she later said that “Jose is not fond of animals and often complains of having them within the home as they shed too much.”
“When asked why the dog was tied to a vehicle, she stated that he eats the plants in front of the home and tears up the yard,” Marciante wrote.
Local 10 News received a video taken by a neighbor that shows what appears to be a woman repeatedly striking and hitting the dog, a border collie named Coco, with a blunt object and even stomping on him.
Local 10 News reporter Samiar Nefzi went to their central Broward home and asked de la Rosa point-blank Wednesday whether she was on video abusing the dog; she said “no” and slammed the door.
But authorities alleged in court that she, in fact, was the one seen in the clip.
“The officer, upon further investigation, video footage from a neighbor indicated that she not only was responsible for using duct tape on the animal’s paws, but she beat the dog with a brick,” the prosecutor said.
Arana Ramos’ daughter told Local 10 News at the time that he “just got frustrated, you know?”
“I’m disappointed, but you can’t really control an old person,” she said.
Arana Ramos has since bonded out of jail; his case remained active in online court records as of Friday morning.
De la Rosa, meanwhile, was being held in the BSO Main Jail on a $30,000 bond, online records show.
The dog, which deputies said was limping and had a “large abrasion,” was placed into the custody of Broward County Animal Care.