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Gabriel Martinez, 34, was arrested on a charge of aggravated animal cruelty after surveillance video showed him repeatedly striking his roommate's dog with a trailer hitch and ball in Boca Raton, Florida, according to the arrest report.

Martinez shared a home in Palm Beach County with the owner of Gypsy, a 4-year-old pit bull. The dog's owner came home from work to find Gypsy lying on the ground, whimpering and bleeding.

The arrest report said the video showed Martinez cornering Gypsy against a fence. Its time stamp put the beating at four minutes and 18 seconds. Deputies wrote that they could tell the hitch was metal from the sound it made when it hit the dog. Martinez was heard shouting threats, including "Once I get you you're dead" and "You are going to get put down."

Gypsy was taken to Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control. A veterinarian found a broken paw, multiple limb fractures, bone contusions and abdominal bruising, attributed to acute blunt force trauma. The veterinarian said she could face long-term problems, including possible loss of the injured limb. She was placed on pain medication and was recovering at home, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies reviewed the surveillance video and seized the trailer hitch as evidence. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office recorded an interview with Martinez on a deputy's body camera, whose time stamp dates it to the morning of March 28, 2025. The sheriff's office released the interview in redacted form. It announced his arrest on social media; news reports followed on April 2, 2025.

Aggravated animal cruelty is a third-degree felony under Florida law, with a fine of up to $10,000. No plea, trial, verdict or sentence has been reported in the news, and Martinez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. As of November 2, 2026, his case had no reported outcome.