Naperville, IL – A Naperville man was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to aggravated DUI and animal cruelty in connection with the 2023 killing of a family dog.
According to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, 36-year-old Nathan Gonzalez was sentenced to concurrent terms of five and three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The sentencing followed Gonzalez’s guilty plea for one count each of Aggravated DUI and Aggravated Cruelty to Animals.
Gonzalez has remained in custody since October 23, when Judge Joseph Bugos denied him pre-trial release amid allegations he killed a family dog and threatened two girls, including his stepdaughter. As part of his sentence, Gonzalez was permanently banned from owning or having custody of any animals.
The charges stem from two incidents. On December 17, 2023, Naperville police stopped Gonzalez for speeding and reported signs of intoxication. He was arrested after officers learned he was driving on a suspended Indiana license and had a blood alcohol concentration of .131.
More seriously, on September 29, 2023, police responded to a 911 call from a 14-year-old girl who alleged that Gonzalez had killed the family’s black and white Shih Tzu, Rocco, and threatened her and her younger sister. Officers found Gonzalez at the family’s home, but the dog was missing. He later fled but was located and arrested. The next day, Naperville Animal Control discovered Rocco’s body at a nearby construction site. A necropsy revealed blunt force trauma to the head.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin called Gonzalez’s actions “extremely disturbing” and underscored the severity of the crimes in his sentencing remarks.
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