by Florida Man Accused of Horrific Abuse Against 6-Year-Old Stepson
Disturbing new details have surfaced in the case of Zachary Perez, a 42-year-old Florida man accused of brutally abusing his 6-year-old stepson. The allegations include beating, kicking, whipping the child with a tree branch, and placing a dog collar around the boy’s neck—yanking it so hard it repeatedly lifted the child off the ground.
Perez is charged with aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm and appeared in a Miami-Dade courtroom on Tuesday. Prosecutors described him as a “ticking time bomb” and urged Judge Richard Hersch to keep him behind bars while awaiting trial.
During the hearing, law enforcement officers revealed what they saw on home surveillance footage and when they arrived at the family’s house. In addition to the beatings, deputies said Perez forced the child to run while wearing a backpack filled with rocks.
“He was punched in the face multiple times, had swollen eyes, bruises, scratches, and a rash on his neck from the collar,” a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputy testified. “Perez used a dog leash, hit him with a tree branch, and kicked him in the stomach.”
Deputies also shared alarming text messages Perez allegedly sent the child’s mother after she reported the abuse. One message read, “You’ll remember Mother’s Day,” with threats implying further harm.
Prosecutors told the court that since Perez’s arrest, multiple women who were previously in relationships with him came forward, claiming they also experienced violent threats and abuse. Some said Perez threatened to kill them, his ex-wife, and even his children—sometimes involving a gun.
Perez’s mother testified in his defense, stating that he suffers from PTSD and a traumatic brain injury sustained while serving in Iraq with the Marine Corps. She requested he be placed under house arrest to receive mental health treatment. However, Judge Hersch denied that request, allowing the prosecution’s motion to keep him in pretrial detention. The court will consider mental health evaluations at a later time.
The alleged abuse took place over two days, beginning on May 8, 2025, in the family’s southwest Miami-Dade home. Authorities say Perez hit the boy with a closed fist, used a dog leash to yank him to the ground, and struck him with a branch. Police were finally called on May 10.
Perez is currently being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as the investigation continues.
