A Naperville man who beat his family’s dog to death was sentenced to prison and banned from owning any animal for the rest of his life, according to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.
Nathan Gonzalez, 36, formerly of the 300 block of South Whispering Hills Drive, pleaded guilty to one count each of aggravated driving under the influence and aggravated cruelty in two unrelated incidents for which he was given concurrent five- and three-year prison terms by Judge Joseph Bugos.
Gonzalez had been initally arrested Dec. 17, 2023, for aggravated DUI after he was pulled over for speeding and found to be driving on a suspended license from Indiana, the release said. His blood alcohol content was found to be .131.
Nearly nine months later, while awaiting trial on the DUI charge, Gonzalez was arrested Sept. 29, 2024, on charges he killed his family’s dog and threatened his 14-year-old stepdaughter and 11-year-old daughter after having a fight with his partner, the release said. The older girl called Naperville police, who arrived to find Gonzalez and the dog, a Shih Tzu named Rocco, missing.
Gonzalez was later arrested, and the dog’s body found a day later by Naperville Animal Control officers at a construction site, the release said. A necropsy deemed the dog’s cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.
After his second arrest, Gonzalez was held in DuPage County jail pending the outcome of his case. As part of his sentence, Bugos ordered that Gonzalez “shall not own, harbor or have custody or control of any animal for the remainder of his lifetime,” the release said.
State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, in a statement released following the sentencing, called Gonzalez’s acts indefensible.
“Following an argument with his partner, Nathan Gonzalez violently killed the family dog, Rocco,” Berlin said. “Mr. Gonzalez’s unconscionable actions, that took the life of a beloved, defenseless family pet, are extremely disturbing. Our pets are family members and deserve our love and comfort, not a violent, painful death as Rocco was forced to endure.
“Additionally, Mr. Gonzalez’s aggravated DUI conviction further illustrates his disregard for the rule of law and concern for others.”
