A Cape Coral man who flushed his girlfriend's fish after he broke into her home changed his plea Tuesday.

Bret Dahl, 29, pleaded no contest to charges of burglary and battery, although Assistant State Attorney Jonathan Howser dropped the burglary charge. Lee Circuit Judge Robert Branning sentenced him to three years of state probation.

According to Cape Coral police, Dahl shoved the victim and stole her cellphone.

Police said Dahl, an ex-boyfriend, broke into her home through the back bedroom window around 2:30 a.m. May 4.

According to police, Dahl caused an estimated $3,370 in property damage when he shattered the victim's fish tank and flushed the betta fish, known as "Bean," down the toilet. The damage included dishware, a thermostat, a TV and two ceiling fans, among others.

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He threw a picture frame at her and asked where his firearm was, police said in the report.

While Dahl was in custody at the Lee County Jail on those charges, Cape Coral police said, they connected him to a separate incident.

Shortly after 6 p.m. Feb. 7, Cape Coral police officers responded to a disturbance in the 1500 block of Del Prado Boulevard South, where the victim said she was in a verbal argument with Dahl.

The woman told officers Dahl exited his vehicle and aggressively approached hers. As the woman tried to call police, authorities said, Dahl put his arm inside her driver-side window and smacked the phone out of her hand, hit her in her left arm and spat on the back driver-side window.

The victim took pictures of the vehicle and license plate, and said she didn't know the suspect.

Based on the investigation, police said, detectives identified Dahl.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at [email protected] or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.