Dog defending teen girl from ‘lewd’ man is thrown off balcony, Florida cops say
A dog was sent flying off a second floor balcony when it got in the way of a man’s advances on a 15-year-old girl, according to investigators in Florida.
The attack happened around 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, as the 44-year-old man was attempting to coax the teen into a bedroom, deputies said.
“Nigel Myers followed a 15-year-old victim into a bedroom of the home. The victim was able to leave the bedroom; however, Myers followed her into the living room and continued trying to get her back into the bedroom,” the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
“During this altercation, a 3-year-old pit bull named Sparta approached Myers and began jumping on him in a protective manner. … Myers picked up Sparta and threw him against the top compartment of a dog cage. Shortly after, Myers picked up Sparta by his two hind legs and threw him off the second-floor balcony of the residence.”
Sparta was found with serious injuries and taken to a nearby animal hospital, authorities said. The dog is expected to survive.
Deputies arrested Myers, and he has been charged with:
- Aggravated animal cruelty
- Domestic battery
- Child abuse
- Lewd and lascivious conduct
Details of Sparta’s injuries and the identity of his owner were not released.
An Oct. 1 Facebook post about the incident in the sheriff’s office Facebook page had more than 1,800 reactions and comments as of Oct. 2, many from people calling the dog a hero.
This story was originally published October 2, 2025 at 12:27 PM with the headline "Dog defending teen girl from ‘lewd’ man is thrown off balcony, Florida cops say."