Inset: Zachary Perez (Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center). Background: Allegedly captured footage of Perez with his stepson in a yard while using a dog collar (Miami-Dade SAO).
A 42-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Florida, who stands accused of physically abusing his 6-year-old stepson — involving a pink dog collar and violent acts such as beating and whipping with a switch — is likely to escape a prison sentence due to a plea deal offered by prosecutors, much to the outrage of the child’s mother.
In spite of having extensive video evidence of the alleged abuse, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office confirmed they proposed a deal to Zachary Perez that entails two years of house arrest with mandatory GPS tracking, followed by 10 years of probation, as detailed in a report from Miami’s NBC affiliate WTVJ.
“Tampering with or removing the GPS device during house arrest would result in jail time,” explained a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office to the station. “This agreement, keeping the defendant detained for two years, is designed to prevent the child from enduring the trial process, a stance the child’s mother supports.”
Earlier this year, Perez was taken into custody on charges of aggravated child abuse causing significant bodily harm, a grave first-degree felony that can lead to up to 30 years of imprisonment and a substantial fine. Prosecutors had previously labeled Perez as “a ticking time bomb” during court proceedings.
It was earlier reported, with video evidence secured by Law&Crime, that incidents in May 2025 showed Perez in various abusive actions against the child, whose image is completely obscured in the footage.
The victim’s mother, who chose not to reveal her identity for the sake of her family’s safety, told the station that she was “horrified” when she learned about the abuse, emphasizing that she did not support the deal prosecutors offered Perez.
“It’s an absolute slap in the face considering what he has done to my child and the trauma he caused,” she said in an exclusive interview with WTVJ. “I fear that he will come back and he will kill us. I still continue to fear that wherever I go, I am constantly looking over my shoulder.”
In one video, Perez could be seen holding a pink dog leash that authorities said was attached to the 6-year-old’s neck as Perez walked him around the perimeter of the backyard. Others appeared to show the boy walking around the yard carrying a backpack that authorities have said was filled with rocks.
Another appeared to show the child jumping on his bed for several seconds when a man dressed in a black shirt and shorts opened the bedroom door and just kicked the boy somewhere between his stomach and head, sending him sprawling down onto the bed.
“Get your f—ing shoes on b—,” the man, who authorities say is Perez, then yells to the boy.
A clip from the living room appeared to show Perez entering from outside and holding the door open for the boy, who soon goes running by, with Perez kicking him as he does. Another appeared to show Perez chasing the boy in the yard with a long, thin wooden stick.
Another video clip, which has been largely redacted but described in court documents, appeared to show the victim standing in the yard with the dog collar around his neck when he is suddenly yanked backwards several feet. The boy appeared to be fully lifted off the ground before hitting the grass.
During a court hearing in June, a deputy with the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office testified about what investigators uncovered about the alleged abuse while combing through the surveillance footage from inside and outside of the home.
“The defendant had beat, punched him in the face multiple times, put a dog leash around his neck,” the deputy said, per Miami ABC affiliate WPLG.
“He had swollen eyes from being hit, he had numerous marks from the tree branch,” the deputy also said. “He had a couple of scratches, a couple of bruises. He had a rash on his neck from the collar.”
The deputy also recounted text messages Perez allegedly sent to the victim’s mother after she reported his allegedly abusive behavior to authorities.
“He said ‘Get home,'” the deputy testified. “He was going to make her pay. He said, ‘You’ll remember Mother’s Day.'”
Assistant State Attorney Wily Wisset told the court that since Perez’s arrest, her office had received multiple calls from women previously involved in relationships with the defendant who claimed to have witnessed or experienced similar abuse at his hands and were afraid of him, Miami NBC affiliate WTVJ reported.
WTVJ reported that Perez has yet to accept the deal, which ultimately must be approved by Circuit Court Judge Alberto Millian. Perez is reportedly expected to make a decision on the offer next week.
