On Monday, January 30th, at around 5:20 A.M., officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department responded to calls reporting a domestic dispute, Law And Crime stated. When police arrived at the apartment complex, they could hear the couple arguing, followed by a woman screaming loudly. After knocking on the door, the woman yelled out to them to “just kick the door in.”

After officers forced their way into the home, they saw an adult female and adult male in the entryway. The male, later identified as Kevin Justin Mayorga, attempted to run into one of the apartment’s rooms and close the door. As police chased after him, they ordered him to stop running and put his hands up, but Mayorga initially resisted. As the officers attempted to detain Mayorga, he began swinging at them, and hit one of them in the eye with a handcuff, causing a slight abrasion.

When Mayorga was detained with hand and leg restraints, the woman told police about her pet snake. According to the victim, Mayorga had grabbed her ball python and bit its head off just moments before the officers had entered their apartment. Next to the reptile enclosure, the decapitated animal was found.

Mayorga has now been charged with animal cruelty with intent to kill, false imprisonment, and resisting arrest. The 32-year-old is currently being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $15,000 bond.