BRADENTON, FLA. — A Bradenton man was sentenced to seven years in prison for crimes against his girlfriend, including throwing her kitten off a fourth-floor balcony.
State Attorney Ed Brodsky for the 12th Judicial District announced that Daniel Rivera, 23, was convicted of criminal mischief; cruelty to animals, felony battery; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and tampering with a witness.
The crimes, investigated by the Bradenton Police Department, were committed in February of 2026 and June of 2025.
According to State Attorney’s Office (SAO) officials, Rivera had been in a relationship with the young female victim.
On June 3, 2025, Rivera was at the victim’s apartment when an argument ensued.
Rivera grabbed the victim’s 1-month-old kitten and threw it off the balcony of a four-story apartment building into traffic, SAO officials said.
When law enforcement officials arrived, they saw that the victim had two black eyes and a laceration to her neck. However, she would not say how she suffered the injuries.
On June 24, 2025, Rivera returned to the victim’s apartment to spend the night. When an argument began, Rivera grabbed a pistol that was sitting on the dresser and pointed it at the victim. He smashed her cell phone against the wall and later struck her in the face while she was in the shower.
Rivera continued to abuse the victim throughout the night until he left for work, SAO officials said.
Rivera was arrested, and the court ordered him not to have contact with the victim. But he violated the order by calling the victim and telling her to drop the charges.
Rivera was sentenced to 7 years prison on May 7.
“Daniel Rivera thought he was above the law. He abused a one-month-old kitten, and he abused the victim,” Assistant State Attorney Limeecha Dunbar said. “Daniel Rivera was ordered by the court to have no contact with the victim, but he continued to call her to drop charges during the pendency of the cases. Despite Daniel Rivera’s willful defiance of the law, he found out that he is not above the law when he was sentenced to 7 years prison. With the hard work of law enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office, Daniel Rivera is unable to hurt anyone during his sentence.”
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