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'A disgusting human being': Neighbors react after Haines City man stabs, dumps his dogs

Now concerned for their safety, people in the Hidden Lake Preserve say previous incidents show Angel Burgos had a violent past before the killing of his dogs.

HAINES CITY, Fla. — Horrific animal abuse lands a 21-year-old Haines City man behind bars, and it was all caught on camera. 

It happened Tuesday in the Hidden Lake Preserve neighborhood. Deputies say security cameras caught Angel Burgos dumping his dogs after stabbing them several times.

In an exclusive interview with 10 Tampa Bay's Angelina Salcedo, neighbors say they are concerned for their own safety because his violent past led to this terrifying act.   

"My husband actually said it sounds like something's getting killed," said Jessica Tijerina.

Their screams were more than a cry for help. Burgos' two Chihuahua mix dogs were writhing in pain before being thrown into a retention pond by their owner.

"I told my husband to check the ring, he had everything on video," Tijerina said.

She got home minutes before she started hearing yelling. Her security cameras caught her neighbor doing the unthinkable.

"I don't think I could have, like physically seen that going on," Tijerina said.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says the 21-year-old stabbed his two three-year-old dogs before dumping them. Lincoln was stabbed 14 times, Casper 7 times.

"Looked outside and he saw angel hitting the dog, but he wasn't hitting the dog. He was stabbing the dog, stabbed it 14 times, took it across the street and dumped it into the pond. They bled to death internally and suffocated on their own blood. It was a horrible death, a painful death and a needless death," Tijerina said.

This latest incident isn't the first problem neighbors have had. People say they've had several issues with him and Burgos makes them feel unsafe.

"Over the past couple of years, we've had issues with him," Tijerina said.

She isn't the only one. Other neighbors too afraid to go on camera also fear for their safety. Jessica's home is permanently marked with a broken window and her husband's car with a shattered back windshield. 

"After he broke my daughter's window and my husband's window, this is when he did this to my car. and that was just from rocks from their little island that he threw the rocks in the car," Tijerina said.

RELATED: 'Disgusting': Haines City man stabbed two dogs more than 20 times before throwing them in a pond, sheriff says

When Burgos went to apologize to her husband exclusive video obtained by 10 Tampa Bay shows he hit him in an incident back in October 2022. The 21-year-old was arrested and charged with battery. Court documents show he was charged with domestic violence battery in 2021.

"I feel like he's disgusting. He's a disgusting human being and there's a certain place somewhere else for him. It's just not here," Tijerina said.

Burgos is behind bars for now, but neighbors here are still uneasy and want to move.

"I just don't feel comfortable here anymore. I stopped feeling comfortable here a long time ago. We've actually been in the process of looking for somewhere else to go," Tijerina said.

Burgos was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center by Haines City Police Department. He has been charged with two counts of felony animal cruelty, tampering with evidence, two counts of improper disposal of deceased animals, and two counts of illegal dumping.

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