New Mexico: Twila Williams, 49, accused of starving her animals to death

NEW MEXICO -- A Portales woman was arrested Wednesday in connection with an August incident in which one horse was found dead and seven other animals were found severely malnourished in Curry County.

Twila Williams, 49, was booked into the Curry County Adult Detention Center just before 3 p.m. Wednesday after she was arrested in Portales. She is charged with one count of extreme cruelty to animals.

Records did not address bond information and it wasn't clear why she was arrested Wednesday, more than six months after the animals were seized.

Court records stated that the warrant for Williams' arrest filed on Nov. 16 stems from an August incident in which Curry County Sheriff's deputies responded to a call of two horses that escaped their enclosures near U.S. 60-84.

Deputies arrived to find the two horses, as well as a "severely decomposed" paint stud horse in the back of the property, records show.

Four horses and three donkeys, as well as the deceased stud horse, were found, and the water tank on the property was empty. One and a half bales of hay were also found.

Upon filling the water tank, the horses began "drinking the very hot water and fighting over who got to drink," according to the arrest affidavit.

Deputies stated that the animals were removed from the county, but Williams was unable to be found at the time.

Records show that when the arrest warrant was filed in November, the New Mexico Livestock Board submitted the findings of an exam conducted on the animals after they were seized in August by state brand inspectors.

The paperwork stated that six out of the seven animals "are moderately to severely underweight as evidence by their body condition score."

The charge is a fourth-degree felony, punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

(Eastern New Mexico News - March 9, 2018)

Ohio: Police say Stephen Collins II, 19, tortured a puppy by burning it with cigarettes, beat it with a flashlight and threw it down a flight of stairs breaking several bones

OHIO -- A man faces charges of felony animal cruelty after he threw a 3-month-old puppy down a flight of stairs, according to Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones.

Stephen Adam Collins II, 19, caused the puppy to break several bones, including her leg and pelvis, investigators said.

She is expected to live, but it’s too early to tell whether her leg will have to be amputated, Butler County Dog Warden Supervisor Kurt Murbs said.

Joseph's Legacy said Collins, threw her down the stairs, beat her with a flashlight and burned her with cigarettes.

 

 

Three-month-old Vally had to have emergency surgery to repair what investigators called "near-fatal injuries."

Middletown police arrested Collins Thursday evening.

“Harming a defenseless animal is heinous, ridiculous and disturbing,” Jones said in a statement.

 

 

The puppy had been so severely abused that Collins’ mother kicked her son out of the house and called rescuers at Joseph's Legacy to help save the puppy.

The puppy had to have emergency surgery at Monroe Family Pet Hospital. She now has several pins and staples in her leg and pelvis, and she is in a foster home until she makes a full recovery.

EARLIER:
Ohio: Puppy thrown down stairs, burned with cigarettes begins to recover

OHIO -- When Judith Reinhart met Vally, a five-month-old mutt with a black button nose and permanently perky ears, the puppy had a broken pelvis, a broken leg and a coat polka-dotted with cigarette burns.

She had been abused so severely by her 19-year-old owner that the man's mother called rescuers at Joseph's Legacy to take her out of the home.

"When I got there, I found out that she had been thrown down a flight of stairs by her own," Reinhart said. "She was beat on the head with a flashlight."

All for having an accident in the house.

Reinhart rushed Vally to Monroe Family Pet Hospital, where she received surgery to repair her broken bones.

The little dog still had a long physical recovery ahead Wednesday night, Reinhart said, but was already beginning to come out of her shell. In a safe environment, Vally is as sweet, curious and energetic as any other puppy.

Vally got pins in her legs and now lives with a foster mother.

“Here she is, in so much pain. And she's still just so beautiful. And she's just so happy to see, to love a human,” Judy Reinhart, adoption coordinator, said.

(WCPO - February 8, 2018)

Ohio: Robert Frazier, 36, accused of leaving his starved, chained dog outside to freeze to death

OHIO -- On Dec. 26, 2017, the Darke County Humane Society (DCHS) received a report of a deceased dog behind a residence at 205 E. Cross St., Ansonia.

Upon arrival, Agent Dustin Wills of the DCHS discovered an emaciated dog that had appeared to freeze to death during the current subzero temperatures.

The dog was chained up outside and only had an indoor style wire crate to get inside. There was no food or water readily available for the animal.

Agent Wills removed the animal and had a necropsy done. All case files were turned over to the Darke County Prosecutor’s Office with recommendations for Felony Animal Neglect/Cruelty charges.

On Jan. 25, a Grand Jury indicted Robert Frazier, 36, of Ansonia, on a Felony Cruelty/Neglect charge. This is DCHS’s first-ever felony indictment under the new laws for animal abuse in Ohio.

“This kind of behavior cannot and will not be tolerated in our county,” said Agent Wills. “It must stop now; hopefully this gets the point across to people. There are many ways to re-home an unwanted animal. Letting one die from starvation and freezing temperatures is not an option.”

Frazier appeared in the Darke County Common Pleas Court on Monday where he pleaded not guilty to Causing Harm to a Companion Animal (5th degree felony). Dave Rohrer was appointed to represent Frazier. He is currently free on his own recognizance but faces up to a year in prison and a $2,500 fine.

(Early Bird Paper - February 7, 2018)

Louisiana: Five degenerates arrested for running a cockfighting ring

LOUISIANA -- Five men were arrested Saturday on animal cruelty charges in connection with a cockfighting ring that was busted in Jeff Davis Parish.

Scotty Lane Comeaux, 50, of Jennings; Timmy Paul Touchet, 48, of Gueydan; Troy Anthony Lavergne, 43, of Rayne; Danny F. Guidry, 45, of Church Point and Chad Louis Miller, 45, of Branch were arrested on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals by the Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office.

All were released Sunday on a $2,000 bond.

ARREST INFORMATION:
Full Name: Scotty Lane Comeaux
Gender: Male
Race: White
Arrest Age: 50
Arrest Date: 02/04/2018
Arrest Time: 4:41 am
Release Date: 02/04/2018
Release Time: 12:34 pm
Arresting Agency: JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH SHERIFFS OFFICE
City: Jennings, Louisiana 70546
Location: Jefferson Davis, Louisiana
Charge
#1 Aggravated Cruelty to Animals
Bond: $2,000

  

  

Full Name: Troy Anthony Lavergne
Gender: Male
Race: White
Arrest Age: 43
Date:02/04/2018
Time: 2:55 AM
Arresting Agency: JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH SHERIFFS OFFICE
City: Rayne, Louisiana 70578
Location: Jefferson Davis, Louisiana
Charge
#1 Aggravated Cruelty to Animals
Bond: $2,000

Full Name: Chad Louis Miller
Gender: Male
Race: White
Arrest Age: 45
City: Branch, Louisiana 70516
Location: Jefferson Davis, Louisiana
Date:02/04/2018
Arresting Agency: JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH SHERIFFS OFFICE
Charge
#1 Aggravated Cruelty to Animals
Bond: $2,000

When Chad's not torturing animals to death (allegedly), he works as a Truck driver at Fastlane Hauling LLC, 1016 Highway 754, Sunset, Louisiana 70584.
(337) 684-0705.

 

 

  

Full Name: Danny F Guidry
Arrest Age:45
Gender: Male
Race: White
City: Church Point, Louisiana 70525
Date:02/04/2018
Time: 2:08 AM
Arresting Agency: JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH SHERIFFS OFFICE
Location: Jefferson Davis, Louisiana
Charge
#1 Aggravated Cruelty to Animals

Full Name: Timmy Paul Touchet
Date:02/04/2018
Time: 3:28 AM
Arresting Agency: JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH SHERIFFS OFFICE
Arrest Age:48
Gender: Male
Race: White
City: Gueydan, Louisiana 70542
Location: Jefferson Davis, Louisiana
Charge
#1 Aggravated Cruelty to Animals

(American Press - February 6, 2018)

Florida: Registered sex offender Maury Littleton Jr. charged with Felony Animal Cruelty

Full Name: Maury Hunley Littleton Jr.
Alias: Maury Littleton
Gender: Male
Race: White
Date of Birth: 11/25/1980
Arrest Age: 37
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 190 lbs
Arrest Date: 02/08/2018
Arresting Agency: Bay County Sheriff's Office, Florida

Charges
#1 REC:FALSE IMPRISONMENT
#2 REC:FELONY BATTERY
#3 REC:BATTERY (DOM)
#4 REC:BATTERY(DOM)
#5 REC:BATTERY(DOM)
#6 REC:CRUELTY TO ANIMALS FELONY
#7 FRAUD - WLLFLLY DEFRAUD/ATTMPT DEFRAUD URINE DRUG TEST

PREVIOUS ARREST:
Full Name: Maury Hunley Littleton Jr.
Arrest Date: 05/25/2017
Arresting Agency: Bay County Sheriff's Office, Florida
Charges
#1 DOM:BATTERY - TOUCH OR STRIKE
#2 DOM:BATTERY - TOUCH OR STRIKE
#3 DOM:BATTERY - TOUCH OR STRIKE
#4 KIDNAP-FALSE IMPRISONMENT - ADULT
#5 DOM:BATTERY - FELONY

Per the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Maury Littleton Jr. is a registered sex offender / sexual predator

Georgia: Emory Samples, 70, accused of dragging a dog behind his truck then cutting him loose and abandoning it to die in the woods

GEORGIA -- Deputies with Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office have arrested a 70-year-old man accused of dragging a dog behind his truck in the northern end of the county.

According to Cpl. Doug Rainwater, spokesman for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Emory Junior Samples was arrested for felony cruelty to animals around 1:15 p.m. Monday after witnesses reported a dog running and being pulled behind an older Ford truck on Settingdown Road.

Rainwater said that witnesses reported the vehicles license plate number, and deputies quickly found the suspected vehicle off of Martin Road.

He said that the dog was found abandoned in the woods close to Settingdown Road and required immediate medical attention.

Samples had to have pulled over, cut the dog loose and then dumped him in the woods to die before driving off.

Rainwater said that deputies found blood in the bed of Samples truck.

Samples was arrested and taken to the Forsyth County Detention Center, and no bond has been set yet.

(Forsyth News - February 5, 2018)

Alabama: Elois Inman charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty; starving and dead animals found

ALABAMA -- Complaints from citizens led animal control and sheriff’s deputies to the discovery of two dead horses and others in poor condition at a Waterloo residence Monday afternoon.

The owner, Elois Kathleen Inman, 61, 3975 Lauderdale 126, Waterloo, was charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, two counts of failure to dispose of bodies properly and three counts of cruelty to animals.

“It was pretty bad. The poor horses were in the woods trying to eat briar bushes,” said Lauderdale County Animal Control Officer Dewayne Oliver.

He said he had gotten a number of complaints on the animals' conditions and had been dealing with the owner since December.

Deputies removed six horses and 15 dogs from the residence.

Inman remains in the Lauderdale County Detention Center on bail totaling $7,000.

Note: Her name is also being spelled Eloise Inman.

(Times Daily - January 30, 2018)

North Carolina: Fugitive Robert Fore caught in Florida; being extradited to face felony animal cruelty charges

NORTH CAROLINA -- A Fletcher man suspected in a local animal cruelty case was arrested in Florida, but his wife remains at large.

Robert Brian Fore (Bob Fore, Tommy Fore), 61, of Fletcher, was served with animal cruelty warrants after he was taken into custody in Florida on Dec. 30 and extradited back to Henderson County.

Fore was served with warrants for two felony counts of killing an animal by starvation, four felony counts of cruelty to animals and two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals that stemmed from offenses occurring in early March of 2017.

 

 

He is in the Henderson County Jail with a $15,000 secured bond with his next court date scheduled for Jan. 23.

Sandy Fore surrendered 40 dogs and cats March 4 after Henderson County authorities investigated the discovery of dogs and cats that were living in what they described as “absolutely horrific” conditions.

A caller alerted authorities about the animals' welfare, and told authorities a family had moved and abandoned the animals to die.

According to warrants, the Fores mistreated 32 animals.

The animals were discovered in two campers, an outbuilding and a home on the property on Maxwell Drive in Fletcher, spokesman Major Frank Stout said. Some were “running loose” and others were in cages.

A number of the animals were living in "incredibly appalling conditions," according to officials. “It was absolutely horrific the conditions that those animals were living in,” Stout said.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Robert Fore, and his wife Sandy Jean Fore, fled the area, after surrendering 40 dogs and cats on March 4, 2017. Sandy Jean Fore still has outstanding warrants for multiple charges of killing an animal by starvation and cruelty to animals.

She may be using the alias of Jeannie Fore or Jeannie Hughes.

No word on whether she still has their nine-year-old grandson with her.

Should anyone have information concerning Sandy Fore’s whereabouts, please contact the Henderson County Sheriff's Office at 828-697-4911.

 

(Citizen-Times - January 4, 2018)

Earlier:

• North Carolina: 40 animals found living in 'appalling' conditions. Police searching for owners Sandy Fore and Robert Fore
• North Carolina: Authorities believe Sandy Fore and Robert Fore - wanted for FELONY animal cruelty charges - are on the run with their 9-year-old grandson

Michigan: Diane Gay Eland charged with Felony Animal Cruelty after stabbing her son's dog to death, say police

MICHIGAN -- A local woman was charged with killing or torturing an animal Jan. 25 after police allege she stabbed her son’s dog just after midnight Thursday.

Police responded to the home of Diane Gay (aka Diane Gay Eland, Diane Eland) after receiving a complaint that she had stabbed the dog.

Arenac County Undersheriff Don McIntyre said the incident was reported at 12:34 a.m. and upon deputies arriving at the scene, Gay allegedly told them she had stabbed the dog.

According to court documents, an 8-inch fillet knife was located underneath a couch in the home and seized as evidence.

Police reportedly followed a trail of blood and located the deceased dog outside with an apparent stab wound to the abdomen, court documents state.

Arenac County Animal Control was contacted to retrieve the deceased dog so it could be further examined.

Court documents state Gay submitted to a preliminary breath test at the scene and yielded a 0.257 blood alcohol level.

According to this chart, if we assume Diane Eland is 140 pounds, 3 drinks in one hour would put her at about .11 BAC, which is considered legally intoxicated. She had a .257, which means she had the equivalent of 9 drinks in her when police tested her. One drink equals a shot of liquor, 12 ounces of beer or 5 ounces of wine so clearly she'd been drinking a lot.

Killing or torturing an animal is a felony charge with a maximum penalty of four years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine. Gay is scheduled for a probable cause hearing Feb. 5 at 1:30 p.m. She is currently being lodged in the Arenac County Jail.

Note: Online records state that she is 69 years old (born in 1948) and also list the address as being in Shelby Township (the article mentioned Standish Township, Michigan). 

Also, although you initially think this was domestic-related, there are a lot of unanswered questions. Did the dog attack her, unprovoked and she defended herself? A lot of times adult children move back to their parents' home and bring their dogs with them - and we've read plenty of stories where the elderly parent is attacked and/or killed by that dog. Was she abusing the dog? Was she drunk and got in a fight with her adult son and stabbed the dog in a rage? Like I said, lots of unanswered questions... but I'm guessing since they got a felony charge of Animal Cruelty, they believe the dog didn't do anything to her to warrant being stabbed to death.

McIntyre said people or families who feel they cannot adequately care for an animal should contact the Arenac County Animal Shelter.

“We have a second-to-none animal shelter that is almost 100 percent no-kill,” he said. “They find them new homes. That’s an option for folks who feel like they don’t have any options.”

(Arenac Independent - January 25, 2018 )

Indiana: Defonte Acklin beat and tortured his four-month-old puppy, say police

INDIANA -- An anonymous caller told officers Aug. 5 that noises were coming from a Francis Street apartment that sounded like a dog was being beaten.

That day, an Animal Care & Control officer went to the apartment where she found Nani, a four-month-old puppy, trembling in a bathtub and covered in excrement and urine. Her breed was not mentioned in court documents.

The owner, Defonte C. Acklin, 22, of the 4400 block of Standish Drive, told police Nani had gotten into the trash when he left his apartment for about 15 minutes and she had urinated and defecated on the floor.

The dog “knew she was in trouble as she ran into her kennel as if to hide from him,” Acklin told the officer. He got his hand bitten when he reached into the kennel to pull her out, causing a puncture wound, court documents said.

Acklin said he had “whooped her ass with the arm of the chair,” and produced the chair arm, although he wouldn't allow the officer to take it with her, court records said.

Nani had bloodshot eyes and there were red fluid droplets all over the base of the bathtub. 

At the Northeast Indiana Veterinary Emergency Hospital, doctors said Nani had bruises on her lungs and respiratory distress, fractures to her teeth and was missing her front incisors.

There was blood in her ear canals and her oral cavity and a red lesion to her right ear with other eye injuries. She was limping and several of her ribs were fractured, injuries consistent with blunt force trauma to the thorax.

Acklin was charged with felony torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal and two misdemeanor charges of cruelty to an animal. He was being held at the Allen County Jail held in lieu of $4,000 bail.

Nani was adopted into another home on Aug. 30.

(Journal Gazette - January 24, 2018)

North Carolina: CONVICTED MURDERER Clint McQueen, 48, charged after beating dog to death with hammer

NORTH CAROLINA -- An Asheboro man has been charged with felony animal cruelty after allegedly striking a dog in the head with a hammer, according to a press release from the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office.

Clinton Lamont McQueen, 48, was booked earlier this month into the Randolph County Jail under a $20,000 secured bond.

On Jan. 9, authorities responded to 1665 Independence Ave. in Asheboro.

Information obtained by the original call alleged that a dog was struck and killed with a hammer moments before the call was made.

When units arrived on scene they located McQueen and spoke with him about the incident.

While speaking with McQueen, they observed a dog that appeared to be badly injured and suffering from a head injury.

The animal was taken to a local veterinary hospital where it was evaluated and determined the most humane option for the animal was medical euthanasia.

During the scene processing, two hammers were seized.

McQueen posted bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 26.

CLINT MCQUEEN IS A CONVICTED MURDERER

Clinton Lamont McQueen pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Monday, one day before jury selection was to have started in his murder trial.

McQueen, 32, killed Mitchell Ray Maness in May 1999, shooting the Randleman man in the head on Brewer Street after the two began arguing, said King Dozier, assistant district attorney for Randolph County.

The state had planned to seek the death penalty against McQueen, but Dozier said prosecutors had the blessing of Maness' family to accept McQueen's plea to the lesser charge. McQueen was sentenced to at least 15 years in prison.

Three days after the shooting, police arrested McQueen, 717 Russell St., Asheboro. McQueen was also at the time charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of firing a weapon into an occupied vehicle.

According to N.C. Department of Correction records, McQueen had previously served six years in prison on manslaughter and drug convictions. He was released in October 1997.

Note: Of course he'll torture, beat, abuse and kill animals. He's been killing human beings for a decade with no real punishment. 

(Fox8 - January 16, 2018)