A reported act of canine heroism ended in a brutal display of cruelty on Monday evening, as a 3-year-old pit bull, Sparta, was hurled from a second-floor balcony after the dog intervened in an aggressive encounter between a man and a 15-year-old girl in St. Petersburg, Florida, WFLA reported.
According to deputies with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, the incident occurred around 7 p.m. when Nigel Myers, 44, allegedly followed the teenager into a bedroom and persisted in trying to lure her back after she exited; Sparta reportedly began jumping on Myers in a "protective manner," deputies stated, leading to a violent reaction from Myers who after throwing the dog against a dog cage picked up the animal by its hind legs and tossed it off the balcony, FOX 13 News and WTSP confirmed.
After being hurled from the balcony, Sparta was promptly transported to a nearby animal hospital for treatment of serious injuries, however, the pit bull is expected to make a recovery, as was reported by all sources. Myers, meanwhile, is now facing a string of charges that include aggravated animal cruelty, domestic battery, child abuse, and lewd and lascivious conduct, he was arrested and is currently being held at the Pinellas County Jail, investigators remain actively engaged with the ongoing case and further details have yet to emerge.
