A Goodlettsville man is behind bars after police say he fatally beat a puppy and attacked two cats at a home on Shaw Road, leaving one cat so badly hurt it had to be put down. Metro Nashville officers arrested 43-year-old Juan Llamas on Wednesday and booked him on three counts of aggravated animal cruelty, according to court records. Llamas is being held for a mental-health evaluation ahead of a court appearance set for Friday, March 13.
Arrest affidavit describes the attacks
According to an arrest affidavit, a witness told officers they saw a man repeatedly strike a puppy with a wooden stick until the animal died. The same stick was then allegedly used on a cat, breaking both of its back legs. The witness identified the suspect as Juan Llamas and led officers to a second cat found dead in the woods behind the house, the affidavit states. Animal-control personnel later determined the injured cat's wounds were too severe to treat and euthanized it.
Llamas told officers he had been attacked by a pit bull, but investigators were "unable to find a pit bull or any such wounds on Llamas," according to WSMV.
How Tennessee law treats aggravated cruelty
Under Tennessee law, aggravated cruelty to animals is defined as conduct that intentionally kills or causes serious physical injury to a companion animal, and it is prosecuted as a felony offense, as outlined by Justia.
In 2025, state lawmakers approved legislation that requires courts to order mental-health evaluations for people convicted of certain abuse offenses, including cruelty to animals, before they are sentenced, according to the Tennessee General Assembly. The requirement, which applies to offenses committed on or after Jan. 1, 2026, is intended to help judges assess treatment needs and public-safety risks.
Where the case could go from here
If convicted of aggravated cruelty, a defendant in Tennessee faces felony penalties that can include fines, prison time, and court-ordered bans on owning animals, according to the Animal Legal & Historical Center. State lawmakers have also floated tougher sentences in recent sessions. A Senate bill would increase aggravated cruelty from a Class E to a Class D felony if it becomes law, per LegiScan.
For now, Llamas remains in custody while the mental-health evaluation is completed and as he awaits his March 13 hearing.
