Three people have been busted after they were found living in “deplorable” conditions with a 9-year-old boy — in a Michigan house littered with starving, tortured animals, including a dead puppy in a pizza box, according to cops.
The arrests of Kelly Walker, 29, Charles Ashbaker, 38, and Douglas Nelson, 47, stemmed from AT&T finding $30,000 worth of cables stolen from a work site in Flint, Genessee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson said in a videoed news alert.
The workers called sheriff’s deputies, who “found a dead dog right outside in a cage,” Swanson said of the shocking neglect that left him “angry.”
Inside they found emaciated dogs “that hadn’t eaten for weeks” — and “a puppy that was dead in a pizza box.”
“You don’t treat animals this way,” the furious sheriff said.
“The house was so deplorable” with “conditions that nobody should be living” in — yet there was a 9-year-old boy there, the sheriff said, without elaborating on the exact relationship with the trio.
“Three adults, two dead dogs, two emaciated dogs — and a 9-year-old boy,” the sheriff said with no attempt to hide hisdisgust. “Starvation of animals, neglect, neglect of children. This case has it all.”
Walker and Ashbaker were both charged with child abuse, animal cruelty, and killing and torturing animals, while Ashbaker was also hit with an additional felony firearm possession charge.
Nelson was charged with theft, drug possession, and resisting arrest for fighting with responding officers, the sheriff said.
The young boy was placed in the care of Child Protective Services and the two starving dogs have been sent to a rescue center, he said.
Walker and Ashbaker have been held on a $10,000 bond and Nelson has been held on a $5,000 bond, court records indicate.
“If you’re in a position where you can’t take care eof your children or your animals, don’t treat them in the way we see in this case,” the sheriff said, saying they could have easily sought help.
“Because we’re going to come for you and hold you accountable.”
