Cape man arrested for assault, grand larceny and animal cruelty | News, sports, jobs

Bret Dahl. PROVIDED BY THE LEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

On February 7, 2024, at approximately 6 p.m., Cape Coral Police officers responded to a disturbance in the 1500 block of Del Prado Blvd. called. S in Cape Coral.

The victim said she got into an argument with a man she didn’t know, but police later identified him as Bret Austin Dahl of Cape Coral.

According to Cape Police, the victim said 29-year-old Dahl exited his vehicle and aggressively approached her vehicle. When the victim attempted to call police, Dahl allegedly stuck his arm in her driver’s side window, knocked the phone out of her hand, punched her in the left arm and spit on the rear driver’s side window. At some point during the incident, the victim took photos of the suspect’s vehicle and license plate.

Based on the Cape Police investigation, detectives identified Dahl as a suspect in that February incident.

While attempting to locate Dahl, authorities discovered that he was already in custody at the Lee County Jail on unrelated charges stemming from an incident on Saturday, May 4th.

That day, officers were dispatched to a home in southwest Cape Coral for a battery-related call. In that incident, Dahl allegedly pushed the victim and stole his iPhone 15. He is also accused of destroying the victim’s aquarium and flushing a beta fish down the toilet. Dahl allegedly caused an estimated $3,370 in property damage.

Dahl now faces the following charges arising from both cases:

One count of battery (for the May 4 incident)

One count of grand larceny (for the May 4 incident)

One count of criminal mischief (for the May 4 incident)

One count of tampering with a victim (for the May 4 incident)

One count of animal cruelty (for the May 4 incident)

One count of burglary causing bodily harm or bodily harm (for the February 7 incident)