HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A former police officer is behind bars after he allegedly poisoned his girlfriend's three-year-old Maltese poodle, causing the dog to die from internal bleeding.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO), in May 2025, investigators were able to determine that Edwin Campuzano, 22, intentionally placed poison in his girlfriend's dog food, causing the dog to die from internal bleeding.

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The sheriff's office says that after the incident was reported in December, detectives followed the evidence and obtained an arrest warrant.

Campuzano turned himself in to law enforcement on January 16, 2026.

“This was a cruel and deliberate act,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “At HCSO, we will always protect the most vulnerable, including animals, and we will hold people accountable no matter who they are or what position they hold.”

HCSO says Campuzano was a police officer with the Bartow Police Department at the time of the incident, but is no longer with the agency.