ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A St. Petersburg man is facing multiple felony charges after deputies said he injured a dog while attempting to lure a teenage girl into a bedroom.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), deputies responded to a home in unincorporated St. Petersburg on Sept. 29 for a report of animal abuse and lewd conduct.
Investigators said 44-year-old Nigel Myers followed a 15-year-old girl into a bedroom earlier in the day. After she left, Myers continued pursuing her into the living room.
A three-year-old pit bull named Sparta approached Myers in a protective manner, prompting him to pick up the dog and throw it against a dog cage. Deputies said Myers then picked up Sparta by his hind legs and threw him off a second-floor balcony.
Sparta was taken to a nearby animal hospital with serious injuries but is expected to survive.
Myers was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, domestic battery, child abuse, and lewd and lascivious conduct. He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail.
This is an ongoing investigation.
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