Man leaves dog in hot car, then hits bystander trying to help, Florida cops say

Miami Herald

09-05-2025

A dispute over a dog left inside a hot car ended with a witness being hit by the car in a parking lot, according to Florida deputies.
The dog's owner, 68-year-old Anthony Panagoplos, was arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon following the incident outside a Bealls store in Englewood, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office wrote in a probable cause affidavit obtained by McClatchy News.
He was arrested and taken to jail but posted bail, online records show.
Deputies responded just after 6 p.m. on May 2 and were met by two witnesses who said they spotted a dog in a blue Toyota that 'appeared to be in distress,' according to the report.
The women told deputies that they, with help from other bystanders, gave the dog water through a cracked window.
'They were like trying to put it in the cap of the gallon jug, and it just like wasn't enough,' Sarah Nolin, one of the witnesses, told WBBH. 'So they just kind of dumped it in.'
That's when Panagoplos exited the store and yelled at the group to 'mind their own business,' according to the affidavit.
He moved his car to another area of the parking lot, this time rolling his windows all the way up before going back into Bealls, the witnesses told deputies.
One of the other bystanders, a man, followed Panagoplos into the store to confront him, per the affidavit. A verbal dispute ensued, during which Panagoplos allegedly shoved a female worker who tried to intervene, witnesses told deputies.
Their dispute spilled back into the parking lot where the two men continued arguing as they stood behind Panagoplos' car, according to the affidavit.
Panagoplos got in his vehicle and put it in reverse, despite the witness alerting him that he was still behind it.
'Anthony was aware of this but he still put the vehicle in reverse and struck the victim with the rear bumper of the vehicle,' knocking him to the ground, witnesses told deputies.
They called 911 but Panagoplos sped off before authorities arrived.
The victim had 'visible redness' on his leg from the impact but wasn't seriously hurt, deputies said.
Authorities did not say if Panagoplos will face additional charges for locking his dog in the car.
Englewood is about a 60-mile drive northwest from downtown Fort Myers.