Naperville man kills dog, threatens stepdaughters in October 2024 incident
- Nathan Gonzalez, 36, from Naperville, Illinois, has been accused of killing his family's dog, Rocco, and threatening his stepdaughters.
- Gonzalez faces charges of aggravated cruelty to animals and misdemeanor endangering the health or life of a child.
- He has a history of domestic issues, including unrelated charges of domestic battery against his wife.
On September 29, 2024, in Naperville, Illinois, a 14-year-old girl called 911 to report that her stepfather, Nathan Gonzalez, had killed their dog and threatened her and her 11-year-old stepsister. When police arrived, they discovered the girls but could not locate Gonzalez or the family dog, Rocco. The investigation revealed that Gonzalez and his wife had an argument after a night out, leading to Gonzalez's alarming behavior upon arriving home first. Gonzalez reportedly contacted his wife and threatened to kill the dog. Upon her return, she found that Rocco was missing and had a confrontation with her husband, during which he confessed to killing the dog and disposing of its body. Hours later, police located Gonzalez hiding a few blocks away. The next day, animal control found Rocco's body at a nearby construction site, where a necropsy revealed the dog had died from blunt force trauma. The DuPage County State's Attorney charged Gonzalez with one count of aggravated cruelty to animals and two counts of misdemeanor endangerment, given the kids were in danger during the incident. In addition to these charges, Gonzalez is being held for unrelated domestic battery issues involving allegations of violence against his wife. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 18, 2024, as the case continues to unfold.