A woman was hospitalized with multiple stab wounds as investigators examined the deaths of dogs found inside a north Harris County apartment.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Domestic violence and animal cruelty investigators are working together after a woman was hospitalized with multiple stab wounds and dogs were found dead inside an apartment, an investigation that led to the arrest of her 18-year-old former boyfriend.
Johan Caballero faces allegations including aggravated assault involving family violence, an offense related to violating court restrictions and animal cruelty. Authorities said deputies detained him after he arrived at the hospital where the injured woman had been taken. Later court reporting also showed Caballero had been ordered to stay away from the woman because of an earlier criminal case involving her.
The investigation began Tuesday night, Oct. 20, when Harris County sheriff’s deputies responded to a disturbance in the 300 block of Highland Cross Drive near Spring. Deputies found a significant amount of blood leading into an apartment and entered the residence, according to the sheriff’s initial account.
Inside, deputies found two dead dogs and a butcher knife, authorities said. The sheriff’s initial information described the dogs as having apparent gunshot wounds. At about the same time, deputies learned that a woman had arrived at a nearby hospital suffering from multiple stab wounds.
Detectives connected the apartment and hospital investigations and identified Caballero as the woman’s former boyfriend and the suspected attacker, according to the sheriff’s office. While deputies were still at the hospital, Caballero arrived there and was detained. Authorities have not publicly explained why he went to the hospital.
More details emerged during Caballero’s probable cause court appearance Wednesday. Charging documents alleged that the woman was stabbed twice in the back. They also alleged that a Dogo Argentino belonging to her was fatally stabbed. The later court account differs from the sheriff’s initial description that two dogs were found with apparent gunshot wounds. Officials have not publicly explained the discrepancy or released a complete account of what happened to each animal.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez described the combination of alleged intimate partner violence and harm to animals as particularly troubling. The Sheriff’s Office assigned both its Domestic Violence and Animal Cruelty units to the investigation, reflecting the two parts of the case authorities are examining.
The court record also shows that the relationship between Caballero and the woman had previously drawn law enforcement attention. Caballero was charged in March with making a terroristic threat after allegedly threatening to kill her. Court documents said he had a gun inside his jacket when he was arrested in that case.
After the March arrest, an emergency protection order was issued, and Caballero’s bond conditions required GPS monitoring and prohibited contact with the woman. Records cited in later reporting show the GPS monitor went offline for eight hours in June. He was ordered to appear in court afterward, but no punishment was imposed. The records do not establish where Caballero was during that period.
The latest investigation remains active. Authorities have not publicly established a motive, released the injured woman’s identity or provided an updated account of her medical condition. Investigators also have not publicly reconciled the differing descriptions of how the dogs died. Caballero remains accused of the offenses, and the allegations have not been proven in court.
Author note: Last updated October 23, 2026.