Lehigh Acres man accused of trying to drown dog, hitting another with broom

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. —

Deputies in Lehigh Acres arrested a man accused of abusing two dogs and assaulting his partner after months of alleged mistreatment.

Browen Sweet was taken to the Lee County Jail after his girlfriend reported that he had been abusing their two Chinese Shar-Peis. Deputies said Sweet was accused of trying to drown one of the dogs, White Boy, in a bathroom sink and later accused of striking the other dog, Leroy, multiple times with a broom.

Investigators said the arrest followed two months of abuse. The victim told deputies that on Tuesday, one of the dogs ate a piece of drywall, prompting Sweet to reportedly punch the dog several times in the face, knocking it unconscious for one minute.

A neighbor, who spoke with Gulf Coast News off-camera, said she had seen Sweet reportedly hitting one of the dogs multiple times and throwing it onto the concrete on Wednesday.

Dog owners in Lehigh Acres expressed concern for the animals' well-being.

"Breaks my heart to see someone hurt a dog," Mercedes Frischeisen said. "They depend on a human for going out, for eating and everything,"

Both dogs were examined by veterinarians at Lee County Domestic Animal Services and are expected to recover. White Boy had no injuries, while Leroy had swelling around his right eye but no other injuries.

"Anyone who can repeatedly beat defenseless animals and terrorize a victim inside their own home is dangerous, violent and cowardly," Sheriff Carmine Marceno wrote in a statement. "In Lee County, we will aggressively pursue criminals who abuse the innocent."

Sweet is facing charges of animal cruelty and battery.

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