Naperville man receives sentence for killing family dog, threatening children: prosecutors

WHEATON - A Naperville man was sentenced to five years in prison after killing his family’s dog and threatening his daughter and stepdaughter, prosecutors said.

What we know:

Nathan Gonzalez, 36, appeared in court Thursday afternoon, where he was sentenced to concurrent terms of five years and three years in prison following his guilty plea, the DuPage County State's Attorney said.

Gonzalez was convicted of one count of aggravated DUI and one count of aggravated cruelty to animals.

He was denied pretrial release in October 2024 and has remained in custody since then. Bugos also ordered that Gonzalez be permanently prohibited from owning, harboring or having custody or control of any animals.

Timeline:

Naperville police pulled Gonzalez over for speeding on December 17, 2023. During the stop, officers learned Gonzalez was driving on a suspended Indiana driver's license. 

According to the state's attorney, it was later determined his BAC was .131. He was charged and released.

On Sept. 29, 2024, Naperville police received a call from a 14-year-old girl stating that her stepfather, identified as Gonzalez, had killed their family dog and threatened the girl and her 11-year-old stepsister. When officers arrived, Gonzalez and the black-and-white Shih Tzu, named Rocco, were missing. 

(DuPage County State's Attorney's Ofice)

An investigation revealed that Gonzalez and his partner were out for the evening but had a dispute and took separate rides home, with Gonzalez arriving home first. 

After the pair split, Gonzalez called his partner and told her he was going to kill Rocco, prosecutors said.

When she arrived home, she found Gonzalez at home, but Rocco was missing. Gonzalez then left the home. Several hours later, officers received a phone call advising that Gonzalez had returned. 

When officers arrived, they learned that Gonzalez had fled on foot. He was found a few blocks away hiding behind a dumpster. 

The next day, Naperville Animal Control officers found Rocco at a construction site. A necropsy found blunt force trauma to the head as the cause of Rocco’s death.  

What they're saying:

"Following an argument with his partner, Nathan Gonzalez violently killed the family dog, Rocco," Berlin said. "Mr. Gonzalez’s unconscionable actions, that took the life of a beloved, defenseless family pet, are extremely disturbing. Our pets are family members and deserve our love and comfort, not a violent, painful death as Rocco was forced to endure. Additionally, Mr. Gonzalez’s aggravated DUI conviction further illustrates his disregard for the rule of law and concern for others," said DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin.