Vermont: Ashleigh Tillson denies 88 counts of animal cruelty

VERMONT -- A South Hero woman has pleaded not guilty to 88 counts of animal cruelty after officials found scores of dead rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, birds and reptiles last month in her rented home.

Ashleigh M. Tillson, 30, was released on conditions Thursday from Grand Isle Superior Court in North Hero. The restrictions include that she not possess or take care of any animals while the criminal case is pending and refrain from going on the property. She now lives elsewhere in town.

Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Doug DiSabito charged her with depriving animals that she owned or possessed from having adequate food, water and sanitation between Feb. 1 and Sept. 20.

Judge A. Gregory Rainville questioned whether there was a need for Tillson to undergo an outpatient competency and sanity evaluation. Public defender Rory O. Malone said he thought they were unnecessary at this time. He said his client had been checked leading up to the arraignment and if he sees any need he will alert the court.

Rainville said he was concerned that the more time that passes, the harder it becomes to establish what was the state of mind of a defendant at the point of the alleged offense.

In a court affidavit, Grand Isle County Deputy Sheriff Jason Essinger said one of the defendant’s friends indicated she thought Tillson was going to be admitted to the hospital for two weeks but was surprised when she was discharged after four days.

Sheriff Ray Allen was among the authorities to say the raid was the most disturbing animal cruelty case they have ever witnessed.

“In my 26 years of law enforcement I have never seen this type of animal cruelty and neglect. I was overwhelmed by what I saw and odor from inside the trailer,” Allen wrote. He said that when a member of the Humane Society of Chittenden County came into the trailer, “the look on her face (was) that of total shock.”

The abuse story was first reported by The Islander newspaper on its Facebook page in September. It soon spread to the rest of the media, including The New York Times and other major outlets across the country.

During the arraignment, DiSabito successfully argued to add a condition that Tillson not be allowed to keep any animal cages or crates. Malone questioned the need for the requirement but said Tillson was making plans to donate the cages. DiSabito said he was concerned that any animal enclosures from the residence go to proper authorities.

Rainville gave Tillson one week to dispose of the cages and crates. The judge also said he wanted an update in the court case in one month.

Tillson had lived in Winooski for two years before moving into the $700-a-month trailer in South Hero about nine months ago, court papers show. Eviction proceedings have started, court papers indicated and Malone confirmed in court.

Tillson did not address the court during her seven-minute hearing. She pulled up the hood of her jacket in an effort to block news photographers as Malone escorted her out to a car waiting in the courthouse driveway. Tillson was given a chance to comment, but Malone said she would have nothing to say.

When the sheriff’s department attempted to interview her five days after the search, Tillson declined and said she wanted to speak with her mental health worker, court papers show.

Court records show Tillson has been charged with driving while intoxicated twice. She was convicted of DUI in a February 2010 case and fined $300 after a Colchester police investigation, court records show. A DUI second offense charge was reduced to a negligent operation count for a January 2014 incident investigated by Williston police, records show. They indicate Tillson received a six- to 12-month suspended sentence, was placed on probation and fined $300.

The search

Court records suggest Tillson appeared more concerned about the media coverage than the welfare of the animals in her home. Tillson initially took care of animals, but suddenly in recent months had stopped talking about them, court records show.

Allen said that the day of the search, he reached Tillson by phone and explained why authorities were at the home.

Tillson “never inquired about the health or status of the animals and her only question was will the media know about this. I found that very concerning,” Allen said.

Five days later when she arrived at the sheriff’s office, Tillson was told authorities found only a small number of animals alive.

“She never inquired which animals were found alive or asked how they were doing. She said nothing about the other animals and the situation. She was concerned about the media learning about this and how the public would react,” Allen wrote. She said she wasn’t staying at the house because it was hot and the windows didn’t open.

Besides the 80 animals found dead during the search Sept. 21, an additional eight – four lizards, two rabbits, one hedgehog and one chinchilla — were discovered alive, Allen said. One rabbit died about a week later, Dr. Peggy Larson, a veterinarian, told The Islander.

The dead animals included fish, rats, a mouse, chinchillas, hamsters, gerbils and a lizard. Thirty of the dead animals were in a freezer, but the electrical power had been shut off for three days because of nonpayment, reported Essinger, the deputy sheriff. The unseasonably warm weather helped turn the metal trailer into an oven, said Essinger, who has been specially trained in animal abuse cases.

“During the process, it became evident that the remains of the majority (of animals) were severely decomposed, many reduced to bones and fur,” Essinger wrote. He said the trailer had a morgue-like smell.

Larson, who also has a law degree and was a prosecutor, said she conducted autopsies on most of the dead animals. Most died from lack of nutrition, she said. Larson said not much was left but fur and bones in most cases. She said it was the worst incident among the 15 cruelty cases she has been asked to respond to since she came to Vermont seven years ago.

“Probably the worst thing I have to work on are the hoarding cases. Because you walk into these houses and they are filled with debris,” she said.

Larson said she has seen in hoarding cases that people fill their cages back up with animals. Larson said she had pushed to have the cages taken away from Tillson.

“Thank God the prosecutor was able to accomplish this,” Larson told reporters outside the courthouse. “These hoarding cases are absolutely horrendous.”

Included in the court paperwork was an elaborate 10-column chart listing all 88 animals and indicating various items, including in what room they were found, the species, sex, body condition, weight, level of decomposition and clinical notes.

The complaint was filed by one of the landlords, David Gardner, who went to the property to mow the lawn Sept. 20, Essinger said. Gardner spotted scores of flies on the inside of the trailer’s windows and a notice from the power company on the door that it had shut off electrical service, the deputy said.

Gardner said he entered the trailer and took pictures of dead animals. Gardner described it as “wall to wall cages.”

Marcie Nash, a friend of Tillson’s, said she was not allowed in the trailer and thought the defendant was exaggerating when she claimed she had 30 animals in her home.

Sheriff Allen said he was alerted by South Hero Animal Control Officer Everett Dubuque about 5 p.m. Sept. 20 about the dead animals. A plan was developed to bring in all needed resources in the morning, but no mention was made that any might be alive.

It was only as experts began combing through the cages that a few animals were found alive. A living hedgehog was in the same cage as another that was dead.

One rabbit was described as very thin, hungry and thirsty, with prominent bones and long nails.

Some carcasses were in the refrigerator and the freezer, but with no recent electrical power they had all thawed and begun to rot, said Dubuque, the longtime animal control officer and retired deputy sheriff. 

Also at the search was South Hero Health Officer Anne Zolotas.

VIDEO NEWS CLIP #1:


VIDEO NEWS CLIP #2:

(VT Digger - Oct 25 2017)

Earlier:

• Vermont: Ashleigh Tillson charged after 80 dead animals found. Ex-boyfriend reported her to Animal Control nearly 6 months earlier; they did NOTHING.
• Vermont: How massive case of alleged animal cruelty involving Ashleigh Tillson was uncovered

Vermont: How massive case of alleged animal cruelty involving Ashleigh Tillson was uncovered

VERMONT -- A man who went to mow a lawn made a gruesome discovery-- dozens of dead animals inside a South Hero home. He says the trailer's windows were shut and there was no power. Then, he went inside.

"The smell and the devastation, it was really bad," David Gardner said. "My lungs were not right for three days after."

The smell of 80 dead animals inside the house is something Gardner can't forget.

"When I went in, I found a lot of dead animals in cages and a lot of flies and a lot of fleas," he said.

Gardner and his family were renting out the home to Ashleigh Tillson, 30. Tillson now faces cruelty charges after police say they found 88 animals inside: birds, reptiles, fish and small mammals. All but eight were dead.

The Grand Isle Sheriff's Department says cases like this are rare in this community and this is the biggest one that they have seen. The lead investigator for the Humane Society says it's the saddest case they have seen.

Neighbors and people who frequently visit the area say they had no idea what was going on here.

"I didn't think anybody lived there," said Cyndi Reynolds of South Hero.

Polly Lee-Milton frequents the area to visit the graveyard across the street.

"I never saw any activity or anything," Lee-Milton said.

Travis Dubuque was picking up the propane tank at the property after he disconnected it over a month ago.

"It was bad a month ago; I had no idea what was going on inside the place," he said.

When WCAX News checked out the home, there were flies everywhere and a rotten smell emanating from the house. But we couldn't see inside because the building is boarded up.

Gardner says that he knows Tillson. She is his cousin's daughter. Gardner tells me he thinks she had good intentions and things just got out of hand. Right now, his focus is on the animals.

"Our concerns were the animals on the inside and that's all it really comes down to is that," Gardner said.

Ashleigh Tillson is due in court in three weeks.

We first reported on Tillson's arrest Wednesday night.

Since then, we've heard from several of people who gave their animals to Tillson who are concerned about their welfare.

We know that two rabbits, four lizards, a hedgehog and a chinchilla survived. They were taken to the Chittenden County Humane Society. We're told some of the animals are now staying with the volunteers who rescued them.

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(VT Digger - Sept 28, 2017)

Earlier:

• Vermont: Ashleigh Tillson charged after 80 dead animals found. Ex-boyfriend reported her to Animal Control nearly 6 months earlier; they did NOTHING.

Vermont: Ashleigh Tillson charged after 80 dead animals found. Ex-boyfriend reported her to Animal Control nearly 6 months earlier; they did NOTHING.

VERMONT -- A South Hero woman is facing animal cruelty charges after 80 dead animals were found in her trailer on South Street, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday.

Ashleigh M. Tillson, 30, is due in Vermont Superior Court in North Hero on Oct. 19, Sheriff Ray Allen said.

Allen said the dead animals included rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, birds and reptiles.

Eight other animals – four lizards, two rabbits, one hedgehog and one chinchilla — were found alive last Thursday, Allen said.

The story was first reported by The Islander newspaper in North Hero.

The landlord reported checking the property and spotted the windows covered with flies, the sheriff’s department said. The tenant had been absent for some time, the sheriff said.

“The landlord entered into the trailer and was overwhelmed by the odor inside,” Allen said in a statement.

The landlord reported seeing numerous animal cages and dead animals inside.

Deputy Sheriff Jason Essinger, South Hero Town Constable Everett Dubuque and Health Officer Anne Zolotas all responded to the scene, the sheriff said.

The Humane Society of Chittenden County removed the dead animals and planned to examine them, Allen said.

“There were some ferrets that were nothing left of them but fur and bones,” said Dr. Peggy Larson, a veterinarian, according to WCAX-TV.

The personnel from the various agencies wore respirators and protective clothing to search the trailer for animals with the tenant’s permission.

Allen said there was no electricity and all the windows were closed at the trailer, which is across the road from the South Hero Cemetery.

Tillson’s ex-boyfriend told investigators that she would ask him for money for bills but would use it to buy more animals.

Quicker action by animal control could have made a difference here. Court documents reveal that Tillson's ex-boyfriend called Grand Isle animal control back in May but got no response.

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(VT Digger - Sept 27 2017)

New York: Jazmin Powell, 24, and Jessica Morehouse, 20, charged with animal cruelty

NEW YORK -- Two woman were arrested and charged with Misdemeanor Cruelty to Animals after police found starving and dead animals at their residence located at 31 Schroon River Forest in Chestertown.

NY State Police received a complaint on Monday, January 25, 2016 and began their investigation.

Upon arrival, they found numerous animals that were either dead or starving: dogs, a ferret and a rooster were still alive; dead chickens were found everywhere.

Jazmin A. Powell (aka Jazmin Basque, Jazmin Basque Powell), 24, has been charged with five counts of Animal Cruelty.

Jessica Morehouse, 20, who now lives in Bakers Mills, is to be charged with 3 counts of Animal Cruelty.

They're both set to appear in court to answer to the charges.

(MY OWN CONTENT - January 30, 2016)

Related:

• Newspaper Pretends It Can Block Fair Use And Threaten Those Who Say It Can't

Parents of baby attacked by ferrets charged with child endangerment

PENNSYLVANIA -- Police have charged the parents of the 1-month-old infant whose face was eaten by ferrets last week with child endangerment.

A warrant charging Burnie James Fraim, 42, and Jessica Lynne Benales, 24, with five counts of endangering the welfare of children was filed on Saturday, according to online court records.

 

Neither Fraim nor Benales, both of whom reportedly have developmental disabilities, had been arraigned as of Monday morning.

The infant girl was attacked Thursday as she sat strapped into a car seat in the living room of the couple’s home in the 300 block of Poplar Street.

According to police, three ferrets escaped from their cloth enclosure and attacked the 1-month-old baby, who was left alone on the first floor. Her parents were upstairs when the attack occurred.

Benales heard the baby’s screams, ran downstairs and pulled the animals off of the infant.

“It’s the most horrific thing I’ve seen happen to a child in 45 years in this town,” Police Chief Robert Smythe said on Friday. “These kids need to be protected.”

Ferrets, part of the weasel family, are legal to own as
pets in the state of Pennsylvania (file picture)

The couple has five children, all under the age of 5. All of the children also have special needs, Smythe said. The only food in the house for the children was peanut butter and a can of cranberry sauce, police said.

Five kids in five years. Basically she gets pregnant, has a kid, gets pregnant, has a kid... someone please sterilize her. And him!

The house was reportedly infested with fleas and mites. The family also had six cats and two dogs. The ferrets were destroyed after being tested for rabies.

The older children were removed from the house and are being cared for by relatives.

The infant remains at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in stable condition. Smythe told the Daily Times that surgeons are attempting to reconstruct the child’s face and placed stents in her nose to allow her to breathe.

(The Mercury - Jan 27, 2015)

Earlier:

• One-month-old baby girl loses A QUARTER of her face after being mauled by three pet ferrets in her parents' dining room

One-month-old baby girl loses A QUARTER of her face after being mauled by three pet ferrets in her parents' dining room

PENNSYLVANIA -- A one-month-old baby girl has lost up to 25 per cent of her face after being mauled by three pet ferrets at her family's home, police said on Friday.

Skyy Isabelle Fraime was reportedly placed in a car seat and left on the floor of the dining room at the house in Darby Borough, Pennsylvania, on Thursday while her parents went upstairs.

A short time later, the family's three ferrets escaped from their nearby cloth-like cage and ran over to the lone infant. They attacked her, sinking their teeth into her lips, nose and other facial areas.

 

Skyy was rushed to hospital with serious wounds. Although she is listed as being in a 'stable' condition, she is receiving assistance breathing in intensive care due to the injuries to her nose.

She is also likely to need multiple surgeries in future years to rebuild her face, ABC 6 reported.

Speaking to the news station, Skyy's father, Burnie Fraime, who is engaged to the baby's mother, Jessica Benales, said: 'I went over to grab the baby... half her face was messed up from the ferrets.'

On Friday, Darby Police Chief Robert Smythe described the girl's injuries - which occurred at around 3.30pm on Thursday - as 'the worst' he has seen in nearly 45 years working for the force.

“I’ll be 45 years in June in Darby [with the police department], and this is the worst I’ve ever seen,' he told the Delaware County Daily Times. 'I thought I’d seen everything.

'This child, the center of [her] face is missing. Her nose was gone, [and so was] part of her cheek and part of her lip. I don’t know how much of that got replaced.'

The pet animals escaped out of this cloth-like cage

He added: 'Just imagine that one-month-old baby, that can’t help herself, [and] two or three animals are eating it alive. Imagine the pain.'

At the time of the incident, Mr Fraime and Miss Benales were upstairs at their home in the 300 block of Poplar Street, Mr Smythe said. They reportedly rushed downstairs after hearing loud screaming.

They found Skyy sporting serious injuries to her face and called 911. The baby was taken to the Children’s Hopsital of Philadelphia, where two stents were immediately inserted into her nose.

'The ferrets ran when the mom came down,' Mr Smythe Said. '[The baby] had emergency surgery. The last I heard she was in stable [condition], but she was in intensive care.'

He added that the couple - who have four other young children - are in crisis. They were reportedly clients of Delaware County Child & Youth Services before Thursday's tragedy.

Ferrets, part of the weasel family, are legal to own as
pets in the state of Pennsylvania (file picture)

'The parents, I believe, have problems,' he said. 'They are challenged. They can’t take care of these kids.' The couple's four other children are now in the custody of Child & Youth Services.

When told about the incident, neighbors in Poplar Street were shocked. Thomas Collins said: 'Oh my god, that's terrible,' while Josephine Pour said: 'It's really shocking to hear stuff like that.'

Ferrets, which are part of the weasel family, are legal to own as pets in the state of Pennsylvania.

No charges have yet been filed. An investigation is ongoing. 

(Daily Mail - Jan 23, 2015)

Tennessee: Ferret attacks 5-month-old's face in Robertson County

TENNESSEE -- A ferret attacked a five-month-old boy in Robertson County Sunday morning, leaving the child with serious injuries to the face.

The incident took place late morning near Old Coopertown and Battle Creek roads in Coopertown, Tenn., about eight miles southwest of Springfield.

Ryan Prather, a Springfield volunteer firefighter, told News 2 the baby was flown to the Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University for treatment.

He said the infant's injuries were not life-threatening, but he sustained several lacerations to the face causing severe damage and may lose vision in one eye.

He was reportedly conscious and responsive when emergency personnel arrived.

Smokey Barn News reports that the ferret was a neighbor's pet.

Ferrets are illegal to have as pets in some states but are legal in Tennessee. Ferrets are common pets in the US and are generally friendly. They are often compared to cats in that they sleep a lot and can be trained to use a litter box. However, they can be vicious predators, attacking and killing rabbits in the wild.

Officials stated the Department of Children's Services was notified.

Further details were not immediately released.

(WATE - Mar 25, 2014)

Police say Douglas Co. home used to hoard animals

GEORGIA -- Douglas County Animal Control is investigating the owner of a home on Brown Street where they found nearly 50 pets living in deplorable conditions. They believe the home was being used solely as a shelter for the hoarded animals.

"We consider it to be a cruelty case just because of the conditions that the animals were having to live in," said Douglas County Animal Services Director Bill Peacock.

Peacock said investigators got a search warrant to go in the house because the odor was so strong when they knocked on the door. "There was feces and urine all over the floors and all throughout the house," he said. "The ammonia smell was horrendous."

Investigators removed 15 dogs, six cats, 26 birds and a ferret from the home. The dogs were mostly small varieties like terrier and Chihuahua mixes. The birds were parakeets, cockatiels and parrots. All of the animals appeared to be well nourished.

Peacock said there was no power in the home. It had been shut off in February.

The owner of the home is not being identified because the investigation is in the early stages.
Peacock said the owner has been charged with animal cruelty in the past and will likely face charges again.

"What we hope is that we can convince the owners to release ownership of all the animals to the shelter," Peacock said. They could also get a court order to gain control of the animals.

If they get control Peacock said none of the animals would be put down. They would all be put up for adoption once the investigation is completed.

(WRCB-TV - Mar 15, 2014)

Mother-Daughter Duo Maria Crespo And Teresa Horta-Barrial Face 154 Animal Cruelty Charges Each

FLORIDA -- A mother-daughter duo are behind bars, facing 154 animal cruelty charges each, reports Local 10.

According to the Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department, an anonymous report of animal cruelty alerted investigators to the deplorable living conditions of more than 80 dogs and other animals, reportedly including ferrets, parakeets, and two sugar gliders.

Rescuers found the dogs inside filthy crates aboard a truck last week at the Southwest Miami-Dade home of Maria Crespo and her mother Teresa Horta-Barrial, who both tried to run when discovered.

They also found that the home had no electricity or water, according to CBS Miami, and that the women were in denial of the neglectful living conditions of the dogs.

“They are not without food, they were not without water, not without love, because all of them had love," Crespo said.

But investigators say the dogs were crammed together in cages that were too small and forced to stand in one to two inches of their own feces.

"Animals in this condition that they were, and the way they were caring for, it's just overwhelming for anybody," Miami-Dade Animal Services representative Luis Salgado told Local 10. "Every cage that we saw that was there had at least three inches of dried fecal matter."

One puppy had been sitting in his own feces and urine for so long that his coat is still stained.

Many of the dogs have already been rescued, but several of them still remain under the care of rescue organizations and are in need of a loving home. Those interested in adopting one of the pups should contact the Humane Society of Greater Miami or the Humane Society of The Palm Beaches.

(Huffington Post - Sept 19, 2013)

Less than a month after pleading guilty to cruelty to animals, man caught with new animals in home

Animal abuser: Rodney Smith, 46

OHIO --  Authorities confiscated seven animals from the home of a man who pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and neglect charges earlier this month.

 

Dayton police and the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center removed four dogs, two cats and one ferret this afternoon from the home in the 0 to 100 block of Sandhurst Drive.

It’s the same home where a 10-year-old girl was found last month living in filthy conditions with 16 dogs, two cats, three hamsters and two parrots.

The animals were removed at that time as was the girl, and the adult resident Rodney Smith, 46, was charged with animal cruelty and neglect charges, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.

Smith pleaded guilty as part of a deal on Aug. 5. The judge suspended a 270-day jail sentence and ordered Smith to not own any animals for five years, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Dayton police and ARC returned to the home today after neighbors reported hearing dogs barking and seeing people going in and out of the house, according to Mark Kumpf, ARC director.

“Conditions are substantially the same as we found when we did our first investigation on this house back in June,” Kumpf said. “I know what cruelty smells like. This house smells terrible. These animals are forced to live here. While you and I have the ability to vote with our feet, we can leave unfit conditions and go elsewhere, animals don’t have the ability to open the door and make their feelings known by leaving the property. They’re trapped inside.”

A city housing inspector also responded to the address.

No charges have been filed against Smith. Kumpf said investigators will discuss the possibility of felony animal cruelty charges with the prosecutor’s office.

(WHIO - Aug 26 2013)

Man Charged With Setting Fire to Pet Ferrets

PENNSYLVANIA -- Police say an eastern Pennsylvania man doused three pet ferrets in gasoline and set them on fire.

Palmer Township police arrested 63-year-old William Dickerson and charged him Friday with cruelty to animals, arson and other offenses.

Police say Dickerson's wife called 911 on Aug. 5 and reported that Dickerson had poured gas on the animals in their wire cage and set them ablaze. Court documents say she reported her husband was drunk at the time.

Court documents do not list a possible motive.

The ferrets received severe burns but are expected to survive. The male was more severely burned, and lost its tail and probably part of one leg.

Dickerson is free after posting $10,000 bail. Cynthia Dickerson, his wife of nearly 30 years, says she doesn't understand why he did it and that it was completely out of character for him.  The couple also has four cats and two dogs.

"These are my babies, and they are his children. This is a man who never allowed anyone hurt an animal," she said.

(NBC10 - Aug 16 2013)

Judge says man can never own animals again

SOUTH CAROLINA -- A Florence man has been found guilty of Animal Cruelty following the seizure of 10 animals from a home on Third Loop Road in Florence Tuesday, according to Florence County Environmental Services Director Herbie Christmas.

Christmas says the man's name isn't being released just yet.

Judge Roger Neron Langley ruled the man can no longer own animals, according to Christmas.

He was not fined.

Ten dogs, one chicken and a ferret are being evaluated at the Environmental Services office in Effingham.

The West Florence Fire Department helped because the officers needed breathing apparatuses.

Christmas says the animals' owner left them at the home around the last week of March.

Chrismas added that the owner was renting the lot to house his mobile home.

The property owner called environmental services after seeing the dogs left in the home in small, confined crates.

The animals appeared to have been fed, but not taken out of the crates, according to Christmas.

The animals have bad flea problems and have lost most of their hair, Christmas said.

All of the animals have been turned over to Florence County Environmental Services.

You can call Florence County Environmental Services about adopting the animals at 843-665-3053.

(WPDE - Apr 25, 2013)

Cats Rescued From House Fire

ILLINOIS -- Several dogs, cats and other pets were saved from a house fire Wednesday morning at 1416 Payson Ave.

Quincy firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 8:49 a.m. after receiving reports of smoke at the residence.

"Upon arrival, they had an occupant outside after multiple attempts by her to rescue some of her many pets," Quincy Deputy Fire Chief Steve Salrin said. "Crews made entry inside and found the fire to be located in the kitchen area on the southeast corner of the home. The fire was extinguished quickly."

After the fire was extinguished, firefighters carried out cats and ferrets that were found inside the home.

Homeowner Therese Holford was examined and released at the scene.

"The homeowner was attended to by EMS personnel, because she had taken in significant amount of smoke, just based on the soot on her face, in her attempt to get to her animals," Salrin said.

Adams County paramedics used specialty masks to provide oxygen to animals that were having difficulty breathing following the fire.

An investigation later revealed that the fire was started by a candle in the home and accidental in nature.

(WHIG - Nov 21, 2012)

Parents Of Child Attacked By Ferret Charged

KANSAS CITY, MO -- A Jackson County judge has agreed to a bond reduction for a Grain Valley couple charged with felony child endangerment after a pet ferret chewed off seven fingers of their infant son.

Ryan and Carrie Waldo appeared before Judge Jeffrey Bushur who ordered the couple have no contact with their children.

"Any time a ferret chews off your child's fingers, you're a risk," Bushur told the couple and the attorneys involved.

The Waldos' son was 4 months old when he was attacked by the pet ferret while he was sleeping.

The mother told police that she was asleep in a nearby chair and her husband was in bed upstairs when they heard the baby cry.

A statement from the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office said they have cell phone records that show that the Waldos were not only not sleeping, but they were also not in Grain Valley.

Bond was set at $5,000 each. A preliminary hearing is set for July 13.

Residents said they agreed with the prosecutor's decision to charge the couple.

"They ought to be charged. People don't watch their kids like they should any more," said Betty McCall.

"I think it's a good thing," said resident Joy Starr. "They shouldn't have that child, you know?"

John Plummer questioned the couple's decision to have a pet ferret around the baby in the first place.

The father says he killed the ferret by slamming it onto
the dishwasher.

"I wouldn't have that thing around my kids," he said. "If it was a dog, I wouldn't have it around my kid."

(KMBC - June 15, 2011)