Dispute about dog poop leads to West Palm Beach man's arrest

Ricardo Garcia Sanchez arrested on aggravated battery charge

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A dispute about dog feces led a West Palm Beach man to punch and cut another man with a knife, police said.

Ricardo Garcia Sanchez was arrested early Wednesday morning on a charge of aggravated battery.

Recommended Videos



According to a West Palm Beach police report, Stephen Caplan was walking his dog in the parking lot of an apartment complex when Garcia Sanchez, who was a maintenance worker there, started arguing with him about his dog defecating on the property.

Police said the argument turned physical when Garcia Sanchez grabbed Caplan by the neck and started to punch him.

Caplan told police that he tried to defend himself by putting his hands in front of his face, but Garcia Sanchez pulled out a carpenter's knife and cut Caplan's left hand.

Police said Garcia Sanchez admitted to confronting Caplan about the dog's feces after learning of complaints from several residents, but he denied ever attacking Caplan or having a knife and said he didn't know how Caplan got the cut on his hand.

Garcia Sanchez claimed that Caplan struck him and threw his dog at him during the confrontation, but Officer David Streigold wrote in his report that the dog "was extremely docile towards every person walking by."

Residents told police they didn't see the altercation, but they heard the yelling.

Download the Click2Houston news app in your app store to stay up-to-date with the latest news while you're on the go.

Sign up for KPRC 2 newsletters to get breaking news, sports, entertainment, contests and more delivered straight to your email inbox.