A Florida man was sentenced to three years in prison for fatally shooting his wife’s 13-year-old pit bull and then killing her own dog to keep it from biting him, authorities said Monday.
Jose Antonio Castaneda, 39, admitted killing his wife and then burying her dog in the backyard of his home in the Coral Gables, Fla., suburb of Key West, court records showed.
He pleaded guilty last month to animal cruelty, aggravated cruelty to animals, and pet endangerment.
Castaneda was arrested in October for the killing of his wife, who was shot in the head, court papers said.
She was pronounced dead at a hospital on Sept. 30.
Authorities said Castanede shot his wife after she ran out of the house in an effort to escape the dog, which was barking at her.
She had two other dogs with her.
The dog had been fighting with the man’s girlfriend and Castanesa told investigators that his girlfriend tried to get the dog to leave, the documents said.
After killing the dog and her girlfriend, Castanese left the house and returned with the pit bull, the affidavit said.
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman said investigators had determined Castanes wife’s death was a “homicide” and that he was not guilty of murder.
She said his family members and friends have been notified of the arrest.
Castas, who worked as a landscaper and owned a local golf course, had been on probation for failing to register as a sex offender, according to court records.
He had pleaded no contest in May to the same charge.
Castania was originally charged with aggravated cruelty, but prosecutors dropped the aggravated cruelty charge, saying the woman died as a result of the pit bulls bite.
