Michael Wayne Jones Allegedly Beats His Girlfriend With Her Dog

A Florida man has been charged with strangulation, domestic battery and animal abuse after allegedly beating his girlfriend with her pet dog.

Sanford police say that Michael Wayne Jones, 42, got into an argument with his girlfriend on Thursday at their home, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The arrest report states that Jones was angry because his girlfriend had arrived with her daughter, and one of them was trying to smoke crack cocaine.

Jones' girlfriend tried to drive away, WKMG Local 6 reports, but Jones allegedly tried to stop her. She and her daughter told police that he came out of the house, punched out the car windshield and pulled her small dog out of the vehicle, threatening to kill it.

Jones reportedly began to swing the dog around in the air, and when his girlfriend tried to stop him, he repeatedly hit her with the pup. He then allegedly began to choke her, then let go and fled on his bike, the dog in tow.

When police located Jones, he was bleeding from his right hand. He said he had left the home for his own safety, and said that he had not caused any harm to the dog.

Though officers noted that Jones' girlfriend had red marks on her neck, neither the woman nor the dog suffered any serious injuries.

Sanford Police Lt. Jim McAuliffe told the Sentinel that he never seen a dog used as a weapon in this way.

"To use [a dog] as some sort of club device … I just don't get that," he said.

Unfortunately, in July, another man did allegedly use a dog in this way. Emmanuel Tadeo of Georgia was charged with aggravated assault, domestic violence and animal cruelty after he reportedly killed his girlfriend's Pomeranian, then beat his girlfriend with her pet's dead body.