HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A former Bartow police officer turned himself in for killing his girlfriend’s dog with poison.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said Edwin Campuzano, 22, left poison pellets in the food bowl of a three-year-old Maltese Poodle in May of 2025 because he did not like the dog. The dog ate the pellets and died, and deputies recovered the leftover poison from the bowl. Records show Campuzano bought the poison from Tractor Supply with his debit card two days before his girlfriend left for a trip.
The incident was reported to deputies in December of 2025. Authorities got an arrest warrant on Jan. 16, 2026, and Campuzano turned himself in later that day. He faces a charge of aggravated cruelty to animals.
At the time of the incident, Campuzano was a full-time officer with the Bartow Police Department. He is no longer employed there.
“Those who wear the badge are held to a higher standard, and when someone falls short of that responsibility, it reflects a serious failure of the values we are sworn to uphold,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “This innocent animal deserved care and protection, and the trust placed in him as a partner makes this loss all the more senseless."
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