When Aihab Gerges saw a man drag a puppy across a gas station parking lot on March 15, he couldn't stand by and watch the dog suffer.
Hillsborough County sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said Gerges, 31, of Tampa, and another witness walked over to the man abusing the animal in the lot of the Chevron station at 402 S. U.S. 41 and told him to stop.
They tried to give the puppy water to drink.
But Juan Martinez-Castro became angered, and the 66-year-old, after yelling at them, rushed Gerges and lunged at him with a large steak knife, Carter said.
Gerges was stabbed twice in the upper left chest and received a cut on his right hand as he blocked the attack, Carter said. He was treated at the scene.
Efforts to reach Gerges for comment were unsuccessful.
Deputies arrived soon afterward and charged Castro with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and animal cruelty. Both are felonies.
Castro admitted wielding the knife against Gerges, according to an arrest report written by Deputy Steven Rodriguez.
Castro, of 103 First Ave. NW, remained at Orient Road Jail on Thursday with bail set at $9,500.
Hillsborough County Animal Services also responded to the parking lot and took the puppy.
The animal had cuts on its paw pads and a fractured upper left tooth, spokeswoman Marti Ryan said.
"The man who surrendered him called him 'Scruffy,'" Ryan said.
The agency immediately sent the puppy out for veterinary care because he has a serious case of parvovirus, she said.
The dog is a chow or chow mix and about 10 to 12 weeks old.
"He appears to be sliding down quickly," Ryan said of the dog's deteriorating condition. "But hopefully, this little one will recover. He's absolutely adorable."
The dog was not licensed, Ryan said.
Court records show that Castro has a history of violence and public drunkenness.
He was convicted in April 2005 of assault on a law enforcement officer and criminal mischief. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail.
He has also been convicted of a handful of misdemeanors for public consumption of alcohol and littering. Case UpdatesWhen Aihab Gerges saw a man dragging a dehydrated puppy by a rope outside the Hardee�s he owns in Ruskin, he said he couldn�t help but intervene.
For his effort, he got a couple of stab wounds after the man brandished a steak knife and machete.
On Wednesday, Gerges got something more: A plaque from Hillsborough County commissioners recognizing him with their Animal Services Model Citizen for Bravery, Righteousness, and Humanitarian Award.
And that wasn�t all. The collie-chow mix he rescued � �Scruffy�� � visited the presentation at County Center, along with his new owner.
With his tail between his legs at first, Scruffy eventually warmed up. He greeted those who bent down to pet him by wrapping his front paws around them, like a hug. He wore a blue bandana around his neck with little dog bones and paw prints on it.
He got a doggie bag for making the trip.
�I feel so good,�� said Gerges, at first a reluctant award recipient who had to be coaxed to accept it. �He�s alive. He�s vibrant. He�s in good shape. I�m so happy to see him that way.��
Animal Services workers estimated that Scruffy was younger than 11 weeks when Gerges helped rescue him from his then bike riding owner, Juan B. Martinez-Castro. The dog was on its side as it was being dragged.
�I saw that and was just infuriated,�� Gerges said.
He confronted Martinez-Castro and tried to give Scruffy water. Martinez-Castro repeatedly emptied the water container before attacking Gerges, first with the knife before backing him off with the machete.
Witnesses followed Martinez, who was arrested on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and animal cruelty. Gerges was treated at the scene for what turned out to be minor wounds.
�This is a story about a citizen who represents all that is great about Hillsborough County,�� said Commissioner Kathy Castor, introducing Gerges.
Scruffy, named by animal services workers and sheriff�s deputies, had a broken tooth, cuts on his paw pads and the potentially deadly parvo virus when rescued. People who heard about the case donated money for his treatment.
He was initially adopted by someone who then broke a leg and couldn�t care for him, so he ended up back at the animal shelter. That�s where Norma Slone of Thonotosassa stepped in about a month ago, adopting Scruffy as a pal to her other dog, Duke, a sheltie mix.
There was a breaking-in period, said Slone, with Duke being a little jealous.
�He�s spoiled also,�� Slone said of Duke. �Now they�re inseparable.�� | Source: St. Petersburg Times - Aug 23, 2006
Update posted on Aug 24, 2006 - 1:50PM |
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